With US$200,000 as well as the title of first ever European champion up for grabs, the stakes of the EU Call of Duty World League presented by PlayStation Stage 1 finals are high. One of the six top Call of Duty teams who’ll be competing for these prestigious prizes in Cologne is Splyce.

Fourth seed Splyce qualified for the Call of Duty World League finals via the offline stages in Cologne. However, it wasn’t all smooth sailing, with the first couple of weeks of competition turning out to be turbulent ones as they tried to solidify their roster. Splyce’s initial lineup was Joshh, Bance, Reedy and Dominate. However, Reedy left for Epsilon, resulting in Dominate being dropped so the team could pick up dynamic duo Hawqeh and Vortex, who have more than proven their worth.

Splyce started out well and gave a consistent performance throughout the league, initially fighting for the third/fourth spot. However, as time went by the team found themselves sitting in first place - although this didn’t last. Things all started to go wrong after the first Challenge Division, which Splyce lost to Team Tempo. From there it was a slippery slope back into fourth position, with the team ultimately finishing in the spot many expected them to from day one. Can Splyce be number one once more?

Roster

Joshh

• Name: Joshua “Joshh” Lee Sheppard
• Age: 19
• Role: Hybrid
• Preferred Weapon: M8/VMP
• Preferred Specialist: Active Camo
• Twitter: @SPY_Joshh

Joshh has attended over 50 competitive events, with his first ever having been ECL 2. 16 of these were under the Madcat banner, and in addition to having the same number of LAN wins under his belt he also boasts a Modern Warfare 3 world championship title that he picked up during his time with TCM Gaming. As the captain of the Splyce roster he had the freedom to build a team around himself, which turned out to be extremely successful.

Bance

• Name: Benjamin “Bance” Bance
• Age: 18
• Role: AR Slayer
• Preferred Weapon: Man’O’War/SVG
• Preferred Specialist:  Scythe
• Twitter: @SPY_Bance

It perhaps says a lot about Bance’s tenacity that he was voted the most stubborn person in his year at high school. Having cut his teeth at i53 and taken the Call of Duty title at i55 with Barrage, he was also on the winning team versus OpTic at ESWC. Bance is also proud to have never lost to any exceL teams and doesn’t plan on doing so now, with him currently boasting a 5-0 record against them. The player Bance most looks up to is his new teammate Vortex, who first brought him into competitive gaming. The strong bond between them evident when they team together.

Hawqeh

• Name: Billy “Hawqeh” Harris
• Age: 18
• Role: Hybrid
• Preferred Weapon: VMP
• Preferred Specialist: Kintetic Armor
• Twitter: @SPY_Hawqeh

Hawqeh is new to top-tier European Call of Duty but has been widely praised for his online performances. He didn’t qualify online, however, having been picked up post qualifiers as part of roster changes that saw him being traded from Epsilon for Reedy. Despite having taken part in very few LANs previously, season one has been a great experience for Hawqeh - and this has really shown in his slaying ability.

Vortex

• Name: Stephen “Vortex” Allan
• Age: 18
• Role: SMG Objective
• Preferred Weapon: VMP
• Preferred Specialist: Heatwave
• Twitter: @SPY_Vortex

Much like Hawqeh, Vortex is very inexperienced when it comes to top-level European Call of Duty competition. However, he definitely seems to have found his feet as part of the Splyce lineup alongside his ex-teammate Bance. Season one has gone incredibly well for Vortex individually, with him managing to secure a top four finish as well as take Objective to a whole new level. And how he prepares for his Call of Duty World League matches? A nap and a Red Bull a few minutes before the fun begins.

Will you be there to see Splyce succeed?

If you want to see all the Call of Duty World League action unfold live in Cologne, Germany, there are still tickets left here!

Visit the Call of Duty World League presented by PlayStation site for more information and make sure you’re following ESL CoD on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest news!