OpTic Texas re-signs Huke to starting lineup

OpTic Texas, an esports franchise owned by OpTic Gaming, has announced that it has re-signed Cuyler ‘Huke’ Garland to its starting lineup.

As a result, Amer ‘Pred’ Zulbeari has been released from the team after just returning in February 2025.

Huke, a 2020 Call of Duty League (CDL) champion, has already represented OpTic Texas during the 2024/25 season, filling in for Pred when he left the franchise in late 2024 to deal with an undisclosed personal situation.

The current roster change follows the CDL’s second Major event of the year, where OpTic Texas scored a top-eight placement after losing to Toronto Ultra in the second round of the elimination bracket.

The tournament, won by Atlanta FaZe, was the first for OpTic since adding Cesar ‘Skyz’ Bueno to the team in a bid to reverse its fortunes after winning one out of seven matches during online qualifiers for Major 2.

Huke’s return marks the fourth change the franchise has made during the Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 season. The likely cause of the move is the team’s performance and the possibility of it failing to qualify for the season-ending CDL Championship.

2025 marks the first time the CDL Championship takes place outside of the United States. Following Major 2, the team sits in sixth place with 110 CDL Points. The top eight secure a place at Champs, the biggest Call of Duty esports tournament of the year.

The first time the new-look lineup will compete is during the online qualifiers for Major 3 beginning on April 4th, 2025. Week one will see OpTic Texas play Minnesota Rokkr and Cloud9 New York with 10 CDL Points going to the winner.

Points earned during the qualifiers will determine seeding for the Major 3 LAN event taking place in Boca Raton, California, from April 24th to 27th, 2025.