North American Call of Duty player Encourage has officially announced his departure from Challengers events, which represent the second tier of Call of Duty’s competitive ecosystem. In his announcement, he referenced uncertainty about future opportunities in the ecosystem as a contributing factor to his decision.
Tournament Success and Recent Achievements
Encourage established himself as one of several promising talents within the North American Challengers and amateur Call of Duty tournament circuit. His competitive resume includes a victory at the Urgent Fury Gaming League event in Miami, Florida in January 2025. He secured this win alongside Mason ‘Merculese’ Ramsey, who later went on to represent Toronto Ultra during Major 3.
Departure Announcement and Community Response
In his May 1st post on X (formerly Twitter), Encourage stated that he was quitting competitive CoD. He expressed appreciation for everyone who supported him throughout the past year. He explained that he lacked sufficient reason to continue competing, noting that the future is never guaranteed with the current ecosystem. He mentioned plans to continue streaming and possibly try Warzone, but for now would focus on himself.
The announcement prompted reactions from fellow amateur players and former professionals. CDL analyst Ace The Stocksmen expressed excitement about Encourage’s potential in streaming and Warzone, while lamenting that a bad ecosystem ruins everything—talent, passion, and time are all wasted when the system is broken.
Former FaZe Clan player Doug ‘Censor’ Martin encouraged the player to do what’s best for himself, assuring him that the right opportunities would come when it makes sense. Martin added that competing always remains an option, and that the competitive drive never truly disappears.
Broader Issues in Amateur Call of Duty Esports
With the Call of Duty League (CDL) offering only 48 starting roster positions, opportunities for Challengers players to advance to professional play appear limited. This constraint creates a bottleneck that prevents emerging talent from progressing in their competitive careers.
Encourage isn’t alone in his transition away from Challengers. In April, Paul ‘PaulEhx’ Avila, who previously played for the London Royal Ravens and New York Subliners, announced his shift to the battle royale format.
Call of Duty: Warzone is scheduled to be featured at the upcoming Esports World Cup, potentially providing players unable to secure CDL positions with an alternative pathway to compete on a major international stage.
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