Call of Duty League rookies know they have a lot to prove

Paul “PaulEhx” Avila wishes he had a regular life in high school. He didn’t go to his prom, didn’t spend much time around campus, and didn’t talk to many other students. He never had time—he needed to get home to grind Call of Duty.

“I was thinking that I was done with school the entire time I was there,” he said. “I honestly do have regrets. I wanted to live a normal life.”

PaulEhx has devoted his life to Activision’s first person shooter. He played for a handful of amateur teams leading up to his graduation. He even won five Call of Duty League Challenger events in the leadup to the 2021 season. He was frustrated though; he wasn’t making much money.

“I’m more of a family guy and you don’t get much revenue or money in the Challengers scene,” PaulEhx, who played for WestR, said. “It was hard seeing my mom and family struggle and not be able to help.”

His mother had been laid off from a Radiology Facility during the pandemic and his father had hurt himself previously while running his landscaping company. Both were unemployed without income and PaulEhx wasn’t making much from all his hours grinding Call of Duty. It was even worse in the pandemic with no in-person events, meaning the available prize money would be significantly lower than usual.

Missing Prom Paid Off

Then PaulEhx struck gold. The London Royal Ravens had been struggling to pick up any steam, losing every single one of their first six games. They reached out for a tryout and eventually signed him, bringing hope in the 19-year-old’s life.

“It’s always been a dream of mine for six years,” he said. Now PaulEhx can send money home to help support his family. “My goal is to help my parents retire.”

PaulEhx is one of the rookies that have been brought up in the middle of Call of Duty League’s 2021 season. They’ve had to relocate from all over the world to their respective team facilities. Jamie “Insight” Craven from the United Kingdom to Toronto, PaulEhx from Lake Elsinore in California to Charlotte, North Carolina and Eli “Standy” Bentz from Pennsylvania to Dallas to be with the rest of the Minnesota RØKKR.