There are a handful of worthy candidates for Call of Duty’s greatest player of all time honors, but Nadeshot believes Scump was the best of the best.
On January 17, Seth ‘Scump’ Abner shocked the CoD and gaming community by announcing his retirement in the middle of the Modern Warfare 2 season. The King’s departure inevitably sparked GOAT debates.
No different than football fans arguing between Messi or Ronaldo, or basketball fans siding with either James or Jordan, some CoD fans want to crown the game’s best player.
But some fans argue that players like Ian ‘Crimsix’ Porter, Damon ‘Karma’ Barlow, Matt ‘FormaL’ Piper, James ‘Clayster’ Eubanks, and Scump all have a rightful claim to the throne. 100 Thieves founder and former OpTic Gaming player Nadeshot has the unique perspective of playing with and briefly against Scump in the prime of his career.
Nade explained why Scump stands above the pack
Nadeshot and Scump teamed together for three full seasons, with some other appearances mixed in. The duo ascended as two of the biggest names in CoD and led OpTic during the first part of a historic dynasty run.
In the latest episode of the 100 Thieves Cast, Nadeshot drew from his wealth of CoD knowledge and named who is, in his opinion, CoD’s GOAT.
Going strictly off major tournament wins, Crimsix leads the pack with 37 total. Porter played an integral role in compLexity and OpTic Gaming’s dynasty runs and was a consistent force until his retirement in 2022.
“People don’t give Crimsix the respect that he deserves for what he achieved. If you get on the wrong side of the Green Wall, it almost feels like the whole world flips upside down, and now you’re public enemy number one. A lot of people don’t talk about Crimsix’s achievements, and the staggering amount of tournament wins he has, and how consistently he did it.”
Clayster will go down in history as one of the best AR players of all time when he decides to call it a career. The CoD legend won three World Championships and has 19 major victories to his name.
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Nadeshot and Clayster didn’t always see eye to eye while competing, but Nade included his name in the GOAT conversation.
“I don’t think people comprehend how difficult it is to win three World Championships in those eras of Call of Duty.”
It wouldn’t be a GOAT debate without also mentioning Karma and FormaL. Nadeshot made sure to pay both players their duly deserved respect but gave his case for why Scump is the best.
“I just think from a talent perspective, from the teams Scump played on, many of those with me and other fluctuations, outside pressures, teams not being right, I think if Scump had the same teammates as some these players did through the years, I think his resume would be just as stacked.”
Nadeshot contributed squad spawns, a format change from 5v5, and online tournaments to some of the turbulence Scump experienced in his career, and he doesn’t believe that should hinder his claim for being CoD’s GOAT.
“From playing with and against him a few times, the impact he has on a map, and how hard it is to kill him, I think Scump is the best and most talented player of all time.”
Scump’s retirement marks the end of an era in CoD, but Nadeshot still doesn’t believe the top five or top ten is solidified yet.
Simp AbeZy and Cellium immediately came to mind for Nade as players with the potential to enter the pantheon of CoD’s greatest players.
