#7 Neptune: Top 20 Players of Black Ops 6

The #7 Player of the Black Ops 6 season is the man who changed the Surge’s season: Travis “Neptune” McCloud of the Vancouver Surge.

Joining the Surge after their frustrating Stage I, Neptune changed the entire season trajectory of the team. Starting the year in challengers, Travis was hungry to prove that he is still a top SMG & he didn’t have to wait long to wow fans. Playing with a lightning-fast pace, Neptune exerted efficient pressure at all points during the year. Ending with a team-high 1.04 K/D and 93.3 Slayer Rating. Now, cemented as one of the best Entries in the game, Neptune finds himself firmly in the Top 10 players.

Season Review

After being unable to get a starting position with any CDL teams, Neptune was forced to start the season in Challengers. He impressed instantly, showing that his playstyle perfectly meshed with the omnimovement and pace of Black Ops 6. Both him & Cuyler “Huke” Garland became the most evident players that would be signed first.

Preseason analysts projected Vancouver as a mid-to-upper-tier CDL squad, likely chasing the fourth seed behind OpTic Texas, LA Thieves, and Atlanta FaZe. The roster was headlined by returning talent Jovan "O4" Rodriguez and Jordan "Abuzah" François, paired with the major offseason acquisition, Byron "Nastie" Plumridge.

Stage I, however, was turbulent. A 1-3 start in the qualifiers set them back, and they placed last in Minor I. They rallied with a 4-3 stretch heading into Major I, but their progress was halted by consecutive sweeps to Toronto Ultra and Minnesota Rokkr, ending in a Top 12 finish. The team responded quickly, replacing Charlie "Hicksy" Hicks with Neptune.

The change paid off immediately. Neptune’s aggressive, fast-paced approach energized the roster, leading to a 5-2 Stage II qualifier record. In the season’s final Minor, they defeated Boston Breach, Atlanta FaZe, and Toronto Ultra to make their first Grand Final of the year. Although the LA Thieves claimed the title, the run marked Vancouver as a genuine contender.

📸 Photo by @syrupfx

That surge continued into Major II. They dispatched Carolina Royal Ravens and Boston before narrowly falling to FaZe 2-3 in the Winner’s Final. A rebound victory over Toronto earned them another Grand Final spot, but Atlanta crushed them 4-0. It underscored the gap between top challengers and true champions.

Still, back-to-back Stage II silvers turned heads. Stage III began similarly, as they went 4-1 in qualifiers to secure the third seed for Major III in Boca Raton. They opened with a 3-2 upset over FaZe, but the Thieves knocked them down to the Lower Bracket before dealing another 4-0 sweep in the Grand Final. Three Finals in a row, all ending in shutouts, raised questions about their ability to close.

📸 Photo by @Spribs_

Stage IV brought a predictable slide. Their 3-2 qualifier record wasn’t enough for a deep run, as losses to LA Thieves and Vegas Falcons left them with another Top 12 placing. However, their season-long consistency secured the fourth seed for Champs, drawing Miami Heretics in Round 1.

A 1-3 loss to Miami sent them straight to the Elimination Bracket, where they put together one of the most impressive runs of the year. Neptune led the charge as they knocked out LA, Toronto, Miami, and Boston, sweeping the Thieves and Ultra while edging out the Heretics and Breach in Game 5 thrillers. The effort earned them a Grand Final berth, but OpTic Texas swept them 4-0.

📸 Photo by @CODLeague

Their last chance came at the Esports World Cup in Riyadh, featuring a $1.8 million prize pool and 16 teams. Vancouver cruised through pool play with wins over Team Orchid (3-1) and 100 Thieves (3-2). In bracket play, they swept FiveFears 3-0 and outlasted KOI 3-2, setting the stage for a long-awaited breakthrough. Instead, OpTic handed them yet another 4-0 loss in the Grand Final.

Although they never captured a title, Vancouver exceeded all preseason expectations. They reached four LAN Grand Finals and another in a Minor, cementing their place among the CDL’s elite despite the missing trophy.

How Good Was Neptune in 2025?

Hardpoint

Neptune was at his best in Hardpoint this season, finishing with a 1.06 K/D overall in the mode and having a 1.02 K/D on LAN. His per-10-minute data was very good, having 26.6 kills, 3,155 damage, and 56.9 seconds of hill times per 10 minutes played. Leading the team in Kills & Engagements per 10 minutes (60.7), Neptune was crucial to the success that the Surge found in the mode. Travis showed his potential right off the bat, having a 1.10 K/D in Hardpoint during Stage II.

Hardpoint was their strongest mode in 2025, finishing 56–35 for the 2nd best in the League. They ranked 3rd in average point margin (+19.4), 2nd in hold rate (76.8%), and 3rd in break rate (31.7%), with consistent results both online (31–19, 62%) and on LAN (25–16, 61%). After swapping Hicksy for Neptune, their Hardpoint form skyrocketed to a League-best 50-26, leading in hold percentage (79.7%) and break percentage (34%). A 1.04 team K/D and Rambo’s fundamentals-focused system powered that rise.

Search & Destroy

The lightning-fast pace wasn’t only for respawn modes, as Neptune brought that energy to Search & Destroy as well. He led Vancouver in multiple statistics, including K/D (1.04), kills per round (0.79), opening duel win percentage (53.5%), and rounds with at least 1 kill (56.6%). He maintained this level on LAN as well, ending with a 1.05 K/D with 0.79 kills per round in LAN matches. While the team wasn’t the best at SND, many of their key wins came on the back of Neptune’s highlight performances.

📸 Photo by @syrupfx

Search & Destroy remained their weakness. They finished 9th overall at 36-40, including 15-19 on LAN. They thrived under pressure with a 12-7 Game 5 record, winning their final five of the season, but poor opening duel success (45%, 11th) and low round conversion rate (66%, 11th) held them back. The struggles deepened late, as they went 11-15 through Stage IV, Champs, and the EWC.

Control

The third game mode of the CDL, Neptune, was the best player for the Surge in Control. Finishing with a 1.02 overall K/D in the mode, Neptune impressed with a 1.02 attacking K/D. He had terrific per-10-minute data, leading the team in kills (22.8), damage (2,796), and engagements (51.6) per 10 minutes played. Travis led the League in maps with over 30 kills, doing so 15 times or 32.6% of his maps played.

Control proved steadier. Vancouver ranked 5th at 29-26 overall, closing the year by winning eight of their last ten maps in the mode. They excelled in crunch time, posting a League-best 10-3 record in Round 5s. O4’s relentless objective play anchored their attack, with the team averaging 3.6 ticks per round (3rd). Defensive play still needed improvement, but their late-season form made Control a reliable asset.

A look ahead to Black Ops 7

Neptune heads into the Black Ops 7 season as one of the most intriguing names in the free agent market after his one-year stint with the Vancouver Surge came to an end. Known for his lightning-fast pace and relentless aggression with the SMG, Neptune brings a high ceiling that makes him one of the best young prospects available. While he hasn’t been heavily linked to any top-tier rosters yet, his raw talent and ability to take over maps could make him a valuable pickup for any team looking to inject pace and firepower into their lineup. With the right system and supporting cast, Neptune has the potential to continue being one of the best SMGs in the game.

📸 Photo by @SurgeVancouver