These are the best pro Call of Duty players of all time

From the early MLG days to the modern CDL era, these are some of the best pro players that Call of Duty has ever seen.

Call of Duty’s impact on grassroots esports has been undeniable. From the iconic MLG days to the Call of Duty League, COD has produced some of the finest talent competitive gaming has ever seen. And while the growing esports circuit keeps introducing new names every year, there are five players who still stand out above all the rest.

Here are the best COD players of all time, based on their winning records, trophies, history with the game, and popularity among fans.

Crimsix

Ian “Crimsix” Porter is widely considered the winningest player in Call of Duty history, with 38 major tournament victories. Thanks to his decorated resume in COD, he’s still regarded as the most accomplished COD players of all time. With three COD championships under his belt, he’s the only player to claim titles across multiple COD eras and teams, with his notable squads including compLexity, OpTic Gaming, and Dallas Empire.

During his career in COD, Crimsix earned more than $1.3 million in total prize winnings. The pro player retired in 2023 to pursue professional sim racing with FaZe Clan.

Scump

Seth “Scump” Abner has a deep history in COD as the last remaining player from OpTic Gaming’s original Black Ops II dynasty roster, which also notably featured 100 Thieves stakeholder Nadeshot.

COD player Scump. Credits @ CDL

That lineup built a huge fan following known as the Green Wall, with Scump firmly at the center of it all. The pro player won the 2017 Call of Duty World Championship and earned more than 30 major tournament wins over the course of his career. He also claimed two MLG X Games gold medals and was named esports console player of the year in 2016.

Karma

Damon “Karma” Barlow is the first player to win three Call of Duty Championship titles while playing for three different teams, a feat that earned him the nickname “Three Rings.” Fans still associate him with that accomplishment and the glory that came with it.

COD player Karma. Credit @ CDL

During his career, Karma earned close to $800,000 in prize money and was a part of notable rosters during several COD eras. Surprisingly, Karma wasn’t popular for flashy stats, even though he was quite good at the game. Instead, what made Karma stand out was that he played an unorthodox playstyle and decision-making that worked only for him. That same understanding of the game carried over after his retirement from pro Call of Duty player and helped him transition smoothly into coaching, where he now contributes to OpTic Texas’ current pro CDL roster.

Clayster

James “Clayster” Eubanks has a history in COD that dates back to 2007, making him one of the longest-active pros the scene has ever seen and unquestionably one of the best Call of Duty players in the franchise’s long history.

COD player Clayster. Credit @ CDL

While he’s collected plenty of big wins throughout his career, fans remember him most for his three world championship titles, especially his MVP performance in 2015. Clayster has competed for such powerhouse teams as compLexity, FaZe Clan, eUnited, and Dallas Empire, helping each of those squads hoist some of the biggest trophies in all of competitive COD.

FormaL

FormaL entered the COD pro scene later than some of the other legends on this list, but he made up for lost time with his 2017 world championship victory. Thanks to his surgical AR performance in the finals, he also won the MVP at the 2017 championship, cementing himself then as one of the best players in Call of Duty.

COD player FormaL

Throughout his career, the pro player has earned more than $800,000 in prize money, putting him next to some of the biggest and richest names in COD istory. Some fans may also know him from Halo, where he briefly competed professionally before making the full-time switch to COD.

Call of Duty has seen many great pro players come and go while making a lasting impact, so it’s always going to be difficult to narrow down any list of the best. Such names as Patrick “ACHES” Price and Anthony “Shotzzy” Cuevas-Castro deserve recognition as well. But it’s the five COD pros we’ve listed here who continue to stand out as the biggest and best names the pro Call of Duty scene has ever seen.

Featured image credit: Call of Duty League