Miami Heretics has claimed one of its players has broken a verbal agreement surrounding representing the franchise during the next Call of Duty League (CDL) season.
The franchise stated that José ‘ReeaL‘ Manuel Fernández had verbally agreed to represent Miami Heretics in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 before reportedly signing for another franchise.
According to a statement published by Miami Heretics on August 10th, 2025, ReeaL had ‘verbally accepted’ the new terms of a contract that was set to be signed in the coming days. Although ReaaL or the agency he represents hasn’t confirmed a breach, the franchise has said the player has signed for Toronto Ultra.
Alongside breaking the verbal agreement, claims of other Miami Heretics players taking a pay cut in a bid to keep ReaaL on the roster began to circulate. Team Heretics co-founder Jorge ‘Goorgo’ Orejudo responded, stating claims of pay cuts were “totally false.”
“We want to express our full understanding of a player’s decision to change teams,” reads part of Miami Heretics’ statement.
“However, we strongly reject the breach of verbal agreements, as it damages the trust and respect that should prevail in our industry.”
The statement has sparked a significant response from within the Call of Duty esports community, with many saying ReaaL had the right to sign for a new franchise, as no agreement was signed.
“If verbal commitments were real in esports, I’d be a millionaire. It ain’t real till it’s in writing,” commented veteran esports host Chris Puckett.
What Next For Miami Heretics?
With ReaaL reportedly heading to Toronto Ultra for next season, Miami Heretics is left looking to fill a void left by one of the most promising talents to emerge from the European scene.
According to notable Call of Duty leaker TheGhostOfHope, the franchise is reportedly looking to sign Boston Breach player Eric ‘Snoopy‘ Pérez Lozano to the starting line-up.
