The Los Angeles Thieves are making another roster change heading into the second Major of the 2021 Call of Duty League season.
The Thieves have benched former world champion SlasheR in favor of Drazah, who played on the OpTic Gaming Los Angeles roster in 2020 and has been a substitute for the team since the beginning of the season. The change comes after LAT finished Stage Two group play in last place in Group A with a 1-4 record.
During the stage, the team signed Challengers player Venom and replaced Temp with Venom in the starting lineup after a 1-1 start. The Thieves went 0-2 in their first week with Venom, and in the final week of group play, Kenny was unavailable because of a “non-COVID medical emergency,” necessitating Temp’s return to the active roster.
With Temp subbing in, the Thieves were swept by the Los Angeles Guerrillas, marking the second time this season the Guerrillas swept their crosstown rivals. No player on the LAT roster finished with a positive kill/death ratio.
Before a surprise upset loss against the Guerrillas at the Stage One Major, the Thieves appeared to be one of the top teams in the CDL. The team’s only loss during Stage One group play came against eventual Major runners-up, the Dallas Empire. Since that loss to the Empire, however, they’ve lost six of their last eight matches.
The Thieves will have a tough challenge at the Stage Two Major despite Kenny’s return. Due to their poor group play showing, they’ll begin in losers bracket round one against the Paris Legion.
The Stage Two Major begins on Wednesday, April 7 at 2pm CT.
