#15 ReeaL: Top 20 Players of Black Ops 6

The #16 Player of the Black Ops 6 season is the Spanish Sensation, José “ReeaL” Castilla of the Miami Heretics.

José was the real deal in Black Ops 6, reminding fans of the high-level potential he possesses. Helping the Miami Heretics achieve their highest placement ever at a Major during Madrid, ReeaL was a key factor in the team's consistency throughout the year. Finishing with a 1.05 overall K/D and an 88.3 Slayer Rating, the entry SMG showcased his versatility and impact across all three modes.

Season Review

Entering the 2025 season, the Miami Heretics were a team marked by both promise and volatility. Headlined by a mix of veteran talent in Alejandro “Lucky” López and Adrián “MettalZ” Serrano, along with rising stars like ReeaL and David “RenKoR” Isern, expectations were uncertain. But the roster clearly had the potential to emerge as a dark horse contender.

They began Stage 1 with a rocky start, ending the qualifiers with a 2-5 record, barely enough to lock in an Upper Bracket seed for Major I in Madrid. But the hometown crowd brought out the fire in the team.

📸 Photo by @Spribs_

After taking down OpTic Texas in the opening round, Miami embarked on a surprise run. Despite falling to the LA Thieves, they bounced back by defeating Minnesota and Carolina to secure a 3rd place finish. Though they fell again to the Thieves in the Elimination Finals, their aggressive playstyle and strong respawn performance made the League take notice.

Stage II brought a step back. Miami struggled to maintain its momentum, going 2-5 in qualifiers and suffering an early elimination to the LA Guerrillas M8s in Minor II. Their slump continued at the Major, where they drew a tough Round 1 Elimination matchup and were again eliminated by the LA Thieves, finishing Top 12. Following the tournament, the team opted to bench veteran leader Lucky in favor of rookie Diego “SupeR” Escudero.

The new roster found instant success in Stage III, transforming the Heretics into legitimate threats to top-tier teams. With a revamped SND and improved coordination in respawn, they surged to a 4-1 record in the qualifiers, earning the 4th seed heading into Major III in Boca Raton.

📸 Photo by @CODLeague

There, the Heretics faced Toronto in the Winner's Round 1. It was a solid test for the squad with SupeR, and Miami responded with a 3-1 win. They fell to the Thieves in Round 2 but stunned the League with a 3-2 victory over FaZe in the Lower Bracket. They eventually lost to Ultra in a close 3-2 series, but their Top 4 finish and statement wins proved they could compete with the best.

With expectations rising, Stage IV saw Miami continue its ascent. They went undefeated in qualifiers (5-0) to secure the 1st seed. After a 3-2 online win against LAT, the Heretics had real momentum heading into Dreamhack.

They opened with a dominant 3-0 win over Minnesota and followed it up by proving their win over LAT wasn’t a fluke, taking down the Thieves 3-2 once again. However, the run came to an end with back-to-back losses to FaZe and Thieves, ending Stage IV with another strong 3rd place finish.

📸 Photo by @MiamiHeretics

Heretics entered Champs with confidence after going 9-6 in Hardpoint and 9-3 in SND during Stage IV. Their opening matchup was a 3-1 win over Vancouver, but they were stunned by Boston in a Game 5 loss. Dropping to the Lower Bracket, they capitalized on FaZe’s struggles, sweeping the former champs before falling in a revenge match to the Surge. A 4th place finish capped off a strong year, though the Boston loss left a lingering “what if.”

At the Esports World Cup, Miami, playing under the Heretics banner, arrived as dark horse title contenders. They breezed through pool play, sweeping Project 7 (3-0) and beating FaZe Clan (3-1) to set up a bracket match against Boston. This time, they got their revenge. But disaster struck in the Semifinals. After taking a 2-0 lead against OpTic, the Here

tics collapsed, losing three straight maps to fall out of contention. A loss to Movistar KOI in the 3rd place decider wrapped up their season with another 4th place finish.

Despite falling just short in multiple tournaments, the 2025 Black Ops 6 season was a breakout campaign for the Miami Heretics. With five Top 4 finishes, the team exceeded expectations and gave fans hope for the future. If they can clean up their late-tournament execution and maintain consistency in respawn, Heretics could be a serious contender heading into Black Ops 7, if they manage to retain their core roster.

How Good Was ReeaL in 2025?

Hardpoint

ReeaL was a consistently impactful Hardpoint player for Miami throughout the season. The Spanish SMG finished with a 1.07 K/D in the mode, maintaining a 1.05 on LAN. He averaged 25.5 kills, 3027 damage, and 50 seconds of hill time per 10 minutes. His slaying and damage numbers were second on the team, only behind RenKoR. ReeaL also set the record for most damage in a single map this season (5,757) and logged the second-highest kills in a LAN map (48). Most impressively, he led the League with 97.7% of maps played featuring at least 20 kills. His consistent output played a major role in Miami’s Hardpoint success.

The Heretics’ season in Hardpoint can be viewed in two halves, pre- and post-SupeR. Overall, they went 49-37 (57.0%), ranking 6th in the CDL with an average margin of +5.3. They were even better on LAN, going 24-15 (61.5%). From Stage 3 onward, the team posted a 28-20 record overall (58.3%) and 18-11 on LAN (62.1%), signaling marked improvement. They ranked 3rd in both rotation win percentage (52.4%) and hold percentage (77.3%) in the second half. With a full offseason to deepen their map pool, Miami could emerge as one of the League’s top Hardpoint squads in Black Ops 7.

Search & Destroy

Search & Destroy continued to be a high-impact mode for ReeaL. He closed out the year with a 1.09 K/D in the mode and improved that to 1.11 on LAN. The aggressive entry SMG averaged 0.78 kills per round, held a 50% opening duel win rate, and scored multi-kill rounds in 20.1% of his appearances. He led Miami with 15 double-digit kill maps and topped the League with 10 maps featuring 4+ opening duel wins. He also holds the record for most opening duels won in a single SND map, getting six against Vancouver at Champs on Dealership. His play was central to Miami’s turnaround in SND during the second half of the year.

📸 Photo by @Spribs_

The Heretics’ SND evolution was dramatic. In Stages I & II, they were 11-20 (10th in CDL), ranking last in defense, 11th in opening duels (46.3%), 11th in conversions (68.7%), and 11th in retakes (34.4%). After adding SupeR, they flipped the script, going 25-12 in the second half, including a perfect 13-0 online run. They finished 3rd in opening duels (52.0%), 2nd in retake win rate (50.6%), and 3rd in defense (59.5%). Although their 12-12 LAN record was a concern, it came mostly against elite competition. With records like 11-1 on Dealership and 4-1 on Rewind, they quickly built an effective map pool and will be a team to watch in Black Ops 7.

Control

Though Control was his lowest-K/D mode, ReeaL still contributed heavily. He posted a 0.98 K/D with 20.0 kills and 2529.4 damage per 10 minutes, along with 1.5 ticks per attack. His LAN performance was even better, where he held a 1.03 K/D. At the Esports World Cup, he shone in Control, putting up a 1.16 K/D overall, including a 1.05 attacking and 1.32 defending split. While Miami’s overall Control numbers struggled, ReeaL’s strong individual play stood out despite the team’s limitations.

As with other modes, the signing of SupeR marked a clear shift. In the first half of the season, Miami went just 7-15 in Control (10th in CDL), with a 1-5 LAN record and a 1-6 Round 5 record. Offensive and defensive inefficiencies plagued them. Post-SupeR, they improved to 13-14 overall (7th in CDL) and posted a respectable 8-9 LAN record. However, inconsistent map performances held them back from reaching elite levels. With further refinement and better map diversity, the Heretics could become a dangerous Control team next season.

A look ahead to Black Ops 7

📸 Photo by @CODLeague

ReeaL enters the Black Ops 7 offseason as one of the more intriguing free agents on the market. After his contract with the Miami Heretics came to an end, the talented Spanish SMG is reportedly drawing interest from several top-tier teams across the League. Known for his aggressive playstyle and high-impact, ReeaL is a valuable asset for any squad looking to add slaying power and entry presence. While reports suggest he declined an early offer from the Vegas Falcons, suitors like Toronto Ultra, Gentle Mates, and others remain in the mix. A return to the Heretics is still possible, but with ReeaL's stock on the rise after a strong Black Ops 6 campaign, he holds the leverage to choose the right fit for his championship aspirations.