Riyadh Falcons BO7 Season Preview

Riyadh Falcons Black Ops 7 Season Preview: From the Wild West to the Middle East

The offseason is officially over, which means the Call of Duty League is finally here. With new franchises, a great competitive game, & new rosters across the League, it is shaping up to be one of the best CDL seasons to date.

Goodbye, the Wild West Vegas. Hello, home sweet home Riyadh. After a single season as the Vegas Falcons, the franchise will move to their home region of Saudi Arabia. With the brand change, management has pulled out all of the funding to bring in World Champions Cellium & KiSMET to pair with their SMG duo from last season. In this season preview, we’ll dive into the Falcons’ offseason moves, key players to watch, and what are their expectations compared to the competition within the CDL.

📸 Photo by @CODLeague

Offseason Recap: Team Reset

Signings:
+ McArthur "Cellium" Jovel
+ Matthew "KiSMET" Tinsley

Departures:
- Abdulrahman "D7oomx" Althunayan
- Khalid "KiinG" Kaabi
- Khalid "Khhx" Almadhi
- Abdulelah "KingAbody" Alrajhi
- Salman "Roxas" Alkhuzayyim
- Fahad "WXSL" Alkahtani
- Alec "Arcitys" Sanderson
- Thomas "TJHaLy" Haly
- Preston "Priestahh" Greiner

Offseason Reactions

Ronnie: "The Falcons have finally showcased their true financial strength. They hinted at this mid-season last year when they signed Pred, but this off-season, they raised the bar by convincing former ATL Faze player Cellium to join them with a rumored record-breaking contract.

The team has continued to invest in Saudi player Exnid, but it seems that signing Kismet serves as a safety net in case Exnid doesn't improve as needed. Kismet provides the flexibility to bring in the best challenger player available, as he is capable of effectively playing either role at a high level. The Falcons also tried to sign more superstars like Cell, but it appeared that selling organizations imposed a "Falcons tax" on any transaction."

Easy Mac: “As Ronnie put it, the Falcons have decided to flex some of their financial might. I don't think you can replace true fandom, though that teams like OpTic, Gentle Mates, and other orgs have as a motivating factor. They have talent now with the signing of Cellium to pair with other World Champions, KiSMET & Pred. The pacing will be a big question, but with coaches Clayster & JPDigits, they will have the support staff to get the best out of them."

The Riyadh Falcons roster heading into Black Ops 7:

○ Saud "Exnid" Alotai
○ Amer "Pred" Zulbeari
○ McArthur "Cellium" Jovel
○ Matthew "KiSMET" Tinsley
○ James "Clayster" Eubanks (Coach)
○ JPDigits (Coach)

Season Expectations

Ronnie: "The Falcons' front office likely has very high expectations, which may be unrealistic. In my opinion, this roster is currently not capable of winning a major event. While they can beat any team on their best day, they are also likely to lose to any opponent, making it difficult to achieve consistency.

Realistic goals for the season should include qualifying for the Call of Duty Championships while also planning long-term for the Esports World Cup, the biggest event for the Saudi-backed organization. If the team fails to qualify for the Champs again, it will be a major disappointment considering the funds invested in the roster."

Season Predictions
Best Placement: 4th
Team MVP: Cellium
Final Regular Season Seed: 9th
Will they qualify for Champs: No

Easy Mac: “When a team spends are large budget, they're going to expect instant results. That hasn't always been the case in Call of Duty, though, and this year looks primed with competition. There won't be easy matches in the midfield, which does have me concerned about how quickly the team will come together.

I think good goals for the team are to make Sundays at Majors. They do have a lot of talent, but teams get results. I think the organization wants them to peak for the Esports World Cup, so building towards that will be a must."

Season Predictions
Best Placement: 4th
Team MVP: Cellium
Final Regular Season Seed: 8th
Will they qualify for Champs: Yes

📸 Photo by @CODLeague

Players to Watch in Black Ops 6

Ronnie: Saud "Exnid" Alotai
"Exnid is considered the standout player of the Saudi-backed project. He is the only remaining player from last year's roster and has shown significant potential. It makes sense to give him another opportunity to shine alongside his elite-level teammates.

However, I do question how long his teammates and coaching staff will be willing to give him before they decide he's not ready yet. His raw ability is clearly evident, but communication appears to be the biggest challenge from an outside perspective. Major tournaments 1 and 2 will be crucial for Exnid. If the team struggles, I could see questions being raised about his role."

Easy Mac: Amer "Pred" Zulbeari
“While everyone will be watching Exnid this year, I really want to see if we get superstar Pred back. He had a good end to last season, but we've seen him at much higher levels in the past. I personally have questions about how Cellium & Pred will play together, but they are both way too talented not to be a good duo. Pred will always be good in respawns, the real indicator will be how well his SND form is."

Stage 1 Matches

Qualifier Match 1: December 5th vs OpTic Texas
Qualifier Match 2: December 7th vs LA Thieves
Qualifier Match 3: December 12th vs Carolina Royal Ravens
Qualifier Match 4: December 14th vs Boston Breach
Qualifier Match 5: January 9th vs G2 Minnesota
Qualifier Match 6: January 16th vs Paris Gentle Mates
Qualifier Match 7: January 24th vs Cloud9 New York

Check out the full schedule here for the Major I Qualifiers!