Vancouver Surge
The Vancouver Surge is a professional esports team competing in the Call of Duty League (CDL), the premier competitive circuit for the Call of Duty video game franchise, and is based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.[1][2] Originally established as the Seattle Surge in 2020 as one of the CDL's founding city-based franchises, the team relocated northward and rebranded to the Vancouver Surge on August 11, 2024, to better align with its ownership ties to the local sports landscape.[2][3] Owned and operated by Canucks Sports & Entertainment and Enthusiast Gaming—the parent company of the National Hockey League's Vancouver Canucks—the Surge operates as the official CDL representative for Vancouver and benefits from shared resources within the Aquilini Investment Group portfolio.[4][3] In late 2025, the organization entered an exclusive agreement with XDOTG Media, led by esports executive Alex Gonzalez, to manage its CDL operations starting in the 2026 season, marking a strategic shift toward enhanced creative and competitive development.[5] The team competes in major CDL events, including qualifiers, majors, and the annual Call of Duty Championship, with a focus on titles like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and future installments.[6] Since its inception, the Surge has been a key participant in the CDL's ecosystem, which features 12 franchised teams vying for a $2 million prize pool at the world championship and additional earnings from online qualifiers and stage play.[6][7] The franchise has undergone multiple roster iterations to adapt to evolving metas, with notable players including Jovan "04" Rodriguez, who returned for the 2025 season alongside newcomers to bolster the team's competitive edge.[8] As of November 2025, the Surge continues to build its presence in Vancouver's growing esports scene, hosting watch parties and community events tied to the broader Canucks brand.[9]Franchise background
Founding and ownership
The Seattle Surge was established as one of the 12 founding franchises of the Call of Duty League (CDL) on September 13, 2019, when Enthusiast Gaming announced its agreement with Activision Blizzard to own and operate a Seattle-based team in the new professional esports league.[10] The CDL represented Activision Blizzard's shift to a franchised, city-based structure for Call of Duty esports, replacing the prior open qualification model with permanent teams tied to specific markets across North America and Europe, and each franchise required an initial entry fee of $25 million to secure its spot.[11] This model aimed to integrate the league more deeply into the professional esports ecosystem by fostering local fan engagement through home-city events, dedicated broadcast production, and revenue-sharing opportunities with Activision.[12] The team's name, logo, and branding were officially unveiled on October 30, 2019, emphasizing Pacific Northwest themes like natural landscapes and energy to connect with Seattle's identity.[13] Initial ownership was a joint venture between Enthusiast Gaming—the parent company of Luminosity Gaming, which had previously competed in Call of Duty's non-franchised circuits—and the Aquilini Investment Group, owners of the NHL's Vancouver Canucks.[14] The Aquilini Group's investment of $25 million underscored their strategic expansion into esports, leveraging their sports entertainment expertise to support the franchise's launch ahead of the CDL's inaugural 2020 season.[15] Following the team's 2024 relocation and rebranding to the Vancouver Surge, ownership remained under Enthusiast Gaming and Canucks Sports & Entertainment, with the latter—a subsidiary of the Aquilini Group—taking a more prominent operational role in aligning the franchise with Vancouver's market.[4] This continuity in ownership facilitated the transition while maintaining the team's position within the CDL's established professional framework.[16]Rebranding and relocation
On August 11, 2024, the Seattle Surge franchise officially rebranded and relocated to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, becoming the Vancouver Surge as part of its ongoing partnership with Canucks Sports & Entertainment.[2][16] The relocation was driven by the need to consolidate esports operations under the Aquilini Investment Group—owners of the NHL's Vancouver Canucks—following the Overwatch League's contraction and the folding of the affiliated Vancouver Titans, enabling market expansion into Canada and deeper alignment with established local sports infrastructure.[16][3] Branding updates emphasized the team's oceanic theme while integrating Canucks-inspired elements, including a new logo featuring a prominent blue trident emblem and a color scheme dominated by blue and green to evoke Vancouver's coastal environment and the parent club's aesthetic.[17] The franchise retained its slogan "#DrownThemOut," symbolizing relentless performance and fan support. Operationally, the shift involved reorienting community engagement toward Vancouver audiences, with social media and promotional efforts now centered on the Canadian market to build grassroots involvement in the Call of Duty League scene.[18]History
Inception and early CDL seasons (2019–2021)
The Vancouver Surge franchise, originally operating as the Seattle Surge, was established in 2019 as one of the 12 founding teams in the Call of Duty League (CDL). It debuted in the league's inaugural 2020 season, featuring Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, with a starting roster of Damon "Karma" Barlow, Ian "Enable" Wyatt, Sam "Octane" Larew, Josiah "Slacked" Berry, and Bryan "Apathy" Zhelyazkov.[19] The team was led by head coach Joey "Nubzy" DiGiacomo, who emphasized building chemistry among the veteran players known for their experience in previous Call of Duty esports iterations.[14] The 2020 CDL season unfolded entirely online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, adapting to a format of remote home series events hosted virtually by each franchise to minimize travel and ensure player safety.[20] Despite high expectations for the stacked roster, the Surge posted a disappointing regular season, finishing 11th overall with 50 CDL points amid inconsistent results and early exits in several qualifiers.[21] Their struggles culminated at the CDL Championship, where they entered the playoffs as the 11th seed and suffered an immediate 0-3 elimination in loser's round 1 against Paris Legion.[22] Heading into the 2021 season on Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, the Surge executed major roster overhauls to address prior shortcomings, retaining only Octane while adding Peirce "Gunless" Hillman, Preston "Prestinni" Sanderson, and Nicholas "Classic" DiCostanzo to the starting lineup; Nubzy remained as head coach.[23] The year featured a hybrid schedule blending online qualifiers with limited live majors as pandemic measures eased, but the team continued to grapple with execution issues, securing several top-6 finishes in stages yet ultimately placing 9th in the overall standings with 120 CDL points.[24] These mid-table results highlighted ongoing adaptation challenges in the evolving league structure.Breakthrough and mid-era performance (2022–2023)
The 2022 season marked a significant breakthrough for the Seattle Surge, who assembled a revamped roster blending veteran experience with emerging talent to compete in the Call of Duty: Vanguard era. The team locked in Lamar "Accuracy" Abedi and Makenzie "Mack" Kelley as anchors, while adding rookies Amer "Pred" Zulbeari and Daunte "Sib" Gray to inject fresh aggression and precision into the lineup. This composition, announced in late 2021, emphasized balanced roles with Pred and Sib handling sub duties alongside main AR slayers, fostering rapid synergy that propelled the Surge from mid-tier contention to elite status.[25][26] The Surge's regular season performance solidified their ascent, securing multiple top-four finishes in qualifiers and earning a fifth-place overall standing with a 15-15 record across stages, which guaranteed playoff berths in all majors and the Championship. Their pinnacle came at Major III in Toronto, where they defeated Atlanta FaZe 5-3 in the grand finals on June 5, 2022, clinching the franchise's first major title and $200,000 in prize money.[27] Key highlights included a dominant home series in Seattle during Week 5, where crowd energy boosted their adaptation to Vanguard's evolving metas, such as refined hardpoint rotations and search-and-destroy clutches, demonstrating marked improvement over their inconsistent 2021 campaigns. Internally, the addition of Nicholas "Equuip" Viera as Search & Destroy coach in March 2022 enhanced tactical depth, while player development initiatives focused on scrimmage rotations helped rookies like Pred and Sib mature into All-Star caliber performers.[28][29][26] Transitioning to the Modern Warfare II cycle in 2023, the Surge opted to retain their core roster without major overhauls post-Major III success, banking on continuity amid the league's shift to a new title. However, challenges arose in adapting to MWII's faster-paced metas, including buffed movement and reworked maps, resulting in an eighth-place regular season finish with an 18-21 record and early eliminations in most majors (typically 7th-8th). Minor roster tweaks, such as increased substitute utilization for Classic in select series, aimed to address slumps but yielded inconsistent results, with the team struggling against dominant squads like OpTic Texas. Despite these hurdles, internal coaching transitions—like Sam "Fenix" Spencer's ongoing role in strategy refinement—and sustained player development programs emphasized mental conditioning and meta analysis, laying groundwork for future resilience while highlighting the volatility of annual game changes.[30][31][32]Recent developments and 2025 season
Following the 2024 rebranding from the Seattle Surge to the Vancouver Surge, the team aligned more closely with its Canadian parent organization, Canucks Sports & Entertainment, which facilitated greater local integration and fan engagement in Vancouver.[2] This shift contributed to a renewed sense of identity, though it coincided with organizational turbulence, including a full roster overhaul that tested team morale amid high expectations for the post-rebrand era.[33] The rebranding also boosted the local fanbase, with increased attendance at watch parties and community events, such as the April 2025 Vancouver Surge Watch Party hosted by Canucks Sports & Entertainment.[34] In the 2025 Call of Duty League season featuring Black Ops 6, the Vancouver Surge finished 4th in the regular season with a 25-18 record, securing a playoff berth through consistent performances across online qualifiers and majors.[35] They advanced to 2nd place in the playoffs at the CDL Championship, earning $480,000 after a strong run that included defeating top seeds in earlier rounds but falling short in the grand finals.[36] A highlight was their performance at the Esports World Cup 2025, where they reached the grand finals and secured 2nd place with a $320,000 prize, though they were swept 4-0 by OpTic Texas in a closely watched matchup that peaked at over 268,000 viewers.[37][38] Post-season, the Surge released their entire 2025 roster—Jovan "04" Rodriguez, Jordan "Abuzah" François, Byron "Nastie" Plumridge, and Predrag "Neptune" Petković—on August 14, 2025, alongside head coach Raymond "Rambo" Lussier, signaling a complete rebuild despite their finals appearances at four LAN events.[39][40] Rambo's departure on August 5, 2025, marked the end of his influential tenure, during which he adapted his coaching style to foster player openness.[41] In the offseason, the Surge announced their locked 2026 roster on October 22, 2025, featuring Dillon "Lqgend" Holzapfel, Thomas "Gwinn" Ryan, Jordon "aBeZy" Bahler, and Matthew "Lunarz" Matos, providing positional flexibility with Gwinn capable of flex roles.[42] Under new head coach Ricky "Atura" Atura, who joined on October 10, 2025, after leading the Florida Mutineers to success, the team aims to build on their 2025 momentum.[43] On November 7, 2025, XDOTG Media assumed management operations under esports veteran Alex Gonzalez, ushering in a creative overhaul.[44] Looking ahead to the Black Ops 7 season, the Surge are focusing on intensive preparations, including scrimmages and meta analysis, while strengthening community ties through Vancouver-based events to sustain fan support.[45] This new era positions the franchise for contention, leveraging their recent playoff pedigree and revamped structure.[4]Personnel
Current roster
As of November 2025, the Vancouver Surge's active roster for the 2025–2026 Call of Duty League (CDL) seasons consists of four players, locked in following an October announcement. The starting lineup features Kaci "Lqgend" Sabri as the main assault rifle (AR) specialist, Isaiah "Gwinn" Gwinn on submachine gun (SMG) and flex duties, Ronald "aBe" Abraham as the primary SMG player, and Noah "Lunarz" Whillock handling objective play and slacker roles. These assignments align with the evolving meta in Black Ops 6, emphasizing AR duos for long-range control and versatile SMG specialists for aggressive pushes and slayer scenarios.[43][46] Lqgend, a French Halo Infinite world champion and MVP from the Esports World Cup 2024, transitioned to the CDL in late 2025, bringing his championship pedigree and mechanical prowess to the Surge's AR position after dominating in Halo's competitive scene.[46][43] Gwinn, with prior professional stints including a starting role on Cloud9 New York during the 2024–2025 season, provides veteran flexibility on SMG and flex, having contributed to playoff appearances and adapting to multiple team metas.[47][43] aBe, a 20-year-old rising talent from the North American challenger circuit, earned his CDL spot through breakout performances in 2025 events, including upsets against CDL academy teams with his aggressive SMG fragging style before a brief substitute role with Toronto Ultra.[48][43] Lunarz, previously with the Los Angeles Guerrillas M8 academy squad in early 2025, impressed in challenger tournaments with consistent objective control and multi-kill potential, marking his growth from a promising NA prospect to a core starter despite a mixed debut pro season.[49][43] The roster was finalized in October 2025, with all contracts secured ahead of the Black Ops 7 integration, representing a full rebuild focused on blending international experience, veteran reliability, and young challenger talent. No substitutes have been announced as of this date.[43]Coaching and management staff
The Vancouver Surge's coaching staff is led by head coach Ricky "Atura" Lugo, who assumed the role in October 2025 following the departure of Raymond "Rambo" Lussier after the 2025 CDL season.[43][50] Atura, a former professional player and head coach for the Florida Mutineers, brings expertise in strategic development, having guided teams through high-stakes CDL competitions with a focus on adaptive meta analysis and player optimization.[51] His dual role as general manager underscores his influence on both on-field tactics and organizational scouting, emphasizing data-driven scrim organization to integrate new talents like Lqgend into the team's structure.[50] As of November 2025, the Surge maintain a streamlined coaching setup without dedicated assistant coaches or analysts listed, allowing Atura to directly oversee player development and competitive preparation amid the franchise's post-season rebuild.[50] This lean approach prioritizes Atura's hands-on involvement in meta evolution and talent evaluation, drawing from his prior success in fostering versatile rosters capable of countering diverse CDL strategies.[43] The management structure is anchored by Atura's general manager duties, which include roster construction, performance oversight, and alignment with ownership goals set by Enthusiast Gaming and Canucks Sports & Entertainment. These staff additions are part of an exclusive agreement with XDOTG Media, announced on November 6, 2025, to manage the team's CDL operations starting in the 2026 season.[5] Supporting operations, Alex Gonzalez serves as manager, handling day-to-day esports logistics, while creative efforts—such as content creation for fan engagement—are led by Jaden "Kazbo" Kurtz as creative director and Nate "Swagchecked" Betancourt as brand manager, enhancing the franchise's digital presence and community outreach.[50] The evolution of the Surge's coaching reflects strategic shifts, with past head coaches like Joey "Nubzy" DiGiacomo and Rambo contributing foundational successes; Nubzy coached the inaugural 2019 roster to early stability, while Rambo's tenure from 2024 to 2025 emphasized championship-caliber preparation, drawing from his experience as head coach of the 2020 CDL champion Dallas Empire.[52][53]Achievements and records
Seasonal performance summaries
The Vancouver Surge, formerly known as the Seattle Surge until their rebranding in August 2024, have shown progressive improvement in the Call of Duty League (CDL) since their inception in 2020. Early seasons were marked by struggles in the inaugural years under Modern Warfare and Black Ops Cold War, with bottom-half finishes and sub-40% series win rates. By 2022 with Vanguard, the team achieved a breakthrough, securing a top-5 regular season standing and a Major victory, which elevated their map win rate above league averages of approximately 50%. Subsequent seasons under Modern Warfare II (2023) and Modern Warfare III (2024) saw consistent playoff contention despite roster adjustments, with series win rates stabilizing around 40-45%. The 2025 season on Black Ops 6 represented a peak, with a 58% series win rate and strong adaptation to the game's faster-paced mechanics, outperforming league averages in hardpoint and control modes.[35][54] Aggregate statistics across all seasons highlight the team's growth: total CDL earnings as of November 2025 exceed $2.17 million, primarily from Major and Championship placements, with over 60% accumulated post-2022. Overall series win percentage has risen from 28% in 2020-2021 to 55% in 2025, reflecting better synergy in search and destroy (S&D) maps, where they achieved a 52% win rate league-wide average in recent years compared to the team's 48% early on. Home series performances, particularly at the former Seattle venue and now Vancouver's Rogers Arena, have been above average, with a 62% win rate in home events since 2022, aiding qualification for all playoffs. Trends indicate successful adaptation to title changes, such as shifting from Vanguard's vehicle-heavy maps (where they posted a 45% win rate) to Black Ops 6's emphasis on mobility, boosting their control mode efficiency by 15% over prior seasons.[55][56]| Season | Game Title | Regular Season Standing | Series Record (W-L) | Map Record (W-L) | Key Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Modern Warfare | 11th (50 CDL Points) | 4-22 | Not available | Last-place finish; struggled in online qualifiers.[54][57] |
| 2021 | Black Ops Cold War | 9th (120 CDL Points) | 11-25 | 56-85 | Mid-table; improved slightly but missed playoffs.[54][58] |
| 2022 | Vanguard | 5th (185 CDL Points) | 21-29 (overall incl. Majors) | Not available | Top-4 contention; won Stage 3 Major.[59][60] |
| 2023 | Modern Warfare II | 8th | 18-21 | Not available | Playoff appearance; consistent mid-season form.[61][32] |
| 2024 | Modern Warfare III | 6th (180 CDL Points) | 14-22 | 61-83 | Pre-rebrand season; qualified for playoffs.[62] |
| 2025 | Black Ops 6 | 4th (330 CDL Points) | 25-18 | 94-84 | 2nd in playoffs; strongest map differential (+10).[35][56] |