As our sister site The Loadout reports, Matthew ‘Nadeshot’ Haag is a former Call of Duty pro player and the founder of esports outfit 100 Thieves. Speaking on 100 Thieves’ The Mob podcast, Haag said while Activision has certainly sunk a lot of money into the Call of Duty League, he doesn’t have high hopes for the enterprise.
“I think franchising was a mistake,” he said flatly. “I think charging $25 million to be part of a league that hasn’t grown year over year is a mistake. I think flying teams across the world to play one best-of-five series is a mistake.”
The franchising fee may be the biggest sticking point for Haag, who has said before that 100 Thieves had initially considered pursuing a bid to join the CDL, but had balked at the $25 million required to establish a team.