Envy CEO Mike “Hastr0” Rufail has spoken out about the organization’s future plans after making its grand return, but was open about the difficulties they may face getting back into Call of Duty – where the team has its roots – after the merger and eventual split from OpTic Gaming.
In an update on YouTube, Hastro reflected on Envy’s long history in competitive Call of Duty and esports across the board, and the challenges now facing the org in rejoining the top-tier scene.
“This organization started competing in Call of Duty in 2007, before I even was a member of the organization,” he said. “It’s real tough to bring Envy back without even being able to play Call of Duty at the highest level.”
Envy was part of the CDL’s founding lineup in 2020 as the Dallas Empire, before merging with OpTic Gaming to form OpTic Texas in the Call of Duty League. However, following the separation between the two brands, Envy no longer holds a CDL slot.
“The reality is when we separated from OpTic, OpTic kept our team’s slot,” Hastro explained. “That move is obviously going to keep us out of Call of Duty League, maybe for some time. There are a set number of teams that are allowed to be in the CDL right now, and I’m not sure when the CDL plans to expand.”
Currently, the CDL operates with 12 franchise teams and has yet to confirm any expansion timeline. With no new slots available, Envy’s only path back into the league would be by acquiring or partnering with an existing team — something Hastro says isn’t feasible at this stage.
“The only way for Envy to get back into the CDL is to partner with one of the existing teams or buy one of the existing teams from one of the current partners, and I’ll be honest with you guys, without a ton more support, we probably can’t do that right now,” he said. “We’re starting from scratch again and it’s very difficult for us to be able to afford a team in the CDL right now. It’s a tough pill to swallow.”
Hastr0 also spoke a lot about the team’s history in games like Overwatch and Counter-Strike, while also speaking on the recent successes in Marvel Rivals. Whether Envy can get to a place where they can compete in Call of Duty, though, may rely on a lot of changes for the business.
