The New York Subliners will have a new roster heading into the Call of Duty League Stage 4 Major. As announced on June 15, Jacob “Decemate” Cato will join the squad in Arlington, Texas for the first LAN event in the CDL since March of 2020.
Of course, the roster change isn’t what New York wanted. Obaid “Asim” Asim, the Subliners’ primary SMG player, is unable to make the Major due to ongoing visa issues. The Canadian announced, on June 14, that he likely wouldn’t be able to play, which led to New York signing Decemate for the Major.
Join us in welcoming @Decemate as he answers the call for Major IV.
Let's show 'em what we're made of. #NYSL pic.twitter.com/PxgIm8Lo7A
— Subliners (@Subliners) June 15, 2021
Decemate gets another shot with the New York Subliners
This is Decemate’s second Call of Duty League team in 2021. In early May, he joined the Seattle Surge for the end of Stage 3 and the Major. The team didn’t win a single series during this stretch and Decemate infamously decided to bench himself from the roster. Ultimately, the Surge let him go and he returned to play in CDL Challengers.
That is, up until now, when he gets another chance in the pro circuit. Decemate will play at his second Major in a row and it’s clear that he and the Subliners are hoping for better results this time around. However, it will be a challenge for both Decemate and the rest of the roster. The newly formed squad won’t have much practice time together before their first match of the Major on Friday, June 18.
Decemate will take over Asim’s primary SMG position; a role in which he has excelled for the majority of this season. It will be up to the former Surge member to perform well alongside rookie and fellow SMG player Paco “HyDra” Rusiewiez. This will be a tall task, though, as New York is up against Minnesota RØKKR first in the winners bracket. Minnesota boasts a powerful SMG duo of Eli “Standy” Bentz and Dillon “Attach” Price.
Still, New York has one of the best rosters in the entire league and should provide an environment for Decemate to succeed. The real question is how the team will mesh after forming a couple of days before their first match.
