Nicholas “nitr0” Cannella’s humble youth resembles many from Slidell, Louisiana. When I, a fellow resident of St. Tammany Parish’s largest city, discovered that a member of my favorite esports team was a local, I had what you might call a fangirl moment. But beyond embodying a real-life version of that Leo DiCaprio meme, pointing at the TV as I recognized local landmarks in Intel Gaming’s “Traces” mini-doc, I was truly inspired. I mean, here was an absolute esports icon and Tier-1 Counter-Strike professional, hailing from the very same mid-sized, Southern town across the lake from New Orleans. As someone who hoped to work in the esports industry myself, the whole revelation made these dreams seem more attainable. Cannella, who just recently retired and—as I like to say—put down his shield, met his future wife while both were attending Slidell Junior High. He’d hone his lucrative Counter-Strike skills after shifts at Lee’s Hamburgers on Gause Boulevard. Eventually, he’d attend (then drop out of) Louisiana State University, and for years after, Counter-Strike’s own “Captain America” served as a successful in-game leader for Team Liquid’s staple North American squad. As a fan of both Liquid and Nitr0, I’ve watched him play (and win) many times. But if I could sit down with the retired pro, maybe over some burgers at Lee’s, I’d like to simply ask what he thinks of Slidell. It’s undoubtedly special that a player as successful as Nitr0 still embraces his hometown and state. For folks like me, it’s truly inspiring. Follow me on Twitter @ratio_news

Early in my internship with NOLA FLIGHT, I had the opportunity to sit in and take notes on some key meetings. At the time, NOLA needed a new competitive Call of Duty team, so the staff had set up interviews with a handful of potential rosters. One of the players on one of these rosters was none other than Cayden “Shockzy” Pye. I don’t remember asking Shockzy anything in particular, but I do remember that he’d made a good impression. The whole group of four did, and so they joined NOLA. However, as most teams inevitably do, the group that I had taken notes on in that original interview eventually disbanded. Except, Shockzy quickly returned to NF— Why? “This kind of community,” he says appreciatively. “This love and support.” At the mention of NOLA’s passionate community, I can’t help but explain that I’m also a big fan of “The Shock God.” Of course, along with the highs of representing a loyal New Orleans fanbase comes the adverse lows of competing in a fickle Call of Duty scene, like when one of Shockzy’s peers suddenly joined another squad. “I landed in Texas and my teammate was gone.” He chuckles and adds, “I’m happy for him. I can’t be mad.” We talk about how Cayden started competing in his senior year on Black Ops 4, how he took “every chall” playing 2019’s Modern Warfare. We talk about the tournament runs and victories and losses: Boston and Toronto, opponents like MajorManiak and GodRX, the placings in Top 24, Top 8, Top 3 and so on. But when I ask the Shock God if he has any final comments about his career so far, he makes sure to shout out each of his teammates and staff. “Very tippable.” Follow me on Twitter @rationews

As far back as I remember I wanted to play video games. I still have vivid memories of my dad, brother, and myself playing consoles as far back as the NES. Playing a game like Aladdin on the Super Nintendo, catching Pokémon on my Gameboy, GTA Vice City, to the eventual crazy of battle royale games. From Sega to Gameboy. From Xbox to my eventual obsession, a gaming PC I always wanted to play the latest and greatest titles and explore the worlds they allow you to get lost in. When I heard about the Esports team in New Orleans, it was game over. I knew at that very moment I was a fan. The best city in the world, and my favorite hobby all mashed into one. The NOLA Flight introduction was something that “took off” into something even more special, a partnership I believed in, as a fan and as a brand. I never got much into watching streams (outside of the early Shroud days), or even reading guides for video games. I wanted to bang my head against the wall and figure things out my own way when playing. I wanted to create my own path and feel like I accomplished something, which is a big reason The Kneaux exists to begin with, and a big reason I love to support the Flight. From the ground up, dedication to their craft and love for their fans you can tell by their recent performance at the Call of Duty League Challengers as “Underdogs” that it means something to their players too. Every single person I have talked to who is involved with the Flight whether they are from New Orleans, or just a part of the team sees the passion. They see the city the same way Saints and Pelicans players see the city, full of people who ride or die. If you look at the workings of their roster, you would swear it is deja vu of the Pelicans, young and on the door of greatness. Some people have said Call of Duty player Shockzy is the Lebron of Esports, but I personally akin him to Brandon Ingram of the New Orleans Pelicans. Young, hardworking, and full of promise to build a consistent winner with. Shockzy graced the cover of our magazine this month, gave an interview to our Esports writer Katy Rigol, and participated in the CDL (scandal free I might add) further showing he can handle the load as a NOLA Flight staple. Just like Brandon Ingram, he is not alone. The team rallied behind the love and support they got at the Challengers and showed why they deserve to be in the same spotlight as any other team vying for the next expansion. Fan of shooters? They have multiple Call of Duty and Apex players and streamers alike and both a men’s and a women’s team . Maybe you want to watch something more like other sports, check out their Rocket League roster . As a fan of New Orleans, and a fan of video games the discovery and partnership with NOLA Flight will always be near and dear to me. I hope that passion like mine that I share with them can not only help the scene grow, but the Flight soar beyond their wildest dreams. Wrapping up, take some time to show love to NOLA Flight, Shockzy and their whole roster. Just like The Kneaux, I could not build this dream without the love and support of the city. In the wise words of Chris Conner, “As long as it got New Orleans on it.”. Follow NOLA Flight on Twitter and #FlyTheNF Follow The Kneaux on Twitter

The Call of Duty League (CDL) Challengers is a competitive circuit for amateur teams and players to make names for themselves. This past weekend, NOLA FLIGHT took part in the circuit’s Last Chance Qualifiers, vying for a coveted spot at the upcoming Champs event in Las Vegas. For 19-year-olds “Nemensions” and “Craze,” NF mainstay “Shockzy” and formidable pickup “BigHead,” the previous weekend’s LAN in Toronto was their first playing together. This is where their incredible run arguably began, with wins over teams like Røkkr Academy and Detroit Deviance landing them a Top 8 placing. During the LCQ, NF would similarly upset 1st seed Boston Breach before beating more ex-pros in Vivid and Majormaniak. Only with a reverse sweep loss to *Orbit did the journey reach its falling action and somewhat disappointing conclusion. Esports organization Atlas Lions summarized the run on Twitter, “Everyone loves an underdog story,” adding, “An incredible run at both Toronto & the LCQ’s. You had our support & the full cod communities.” NOLA truly did have the support of the CoD community. Team WaR content creator Aroma, for one, cheered, “This NolaFlight team has the entire Challengers scene in a FIRM headlock.” “Everybody who’s anyone is rooting for @NolaFlightGG in finals tmrw,” CoD streamer “OhhhMac” remarked Saturday evening. The NOLA FLIGHT account gracefully opposed the whole “underdog” sentiment, speaking directly to the players themselves, “Many would say you completed upsets in Toronto and LCQ, but we say otherwise. Y’all did exactly what we as an Org know you could. You all belong.” *UPDATE: Orbit player Jimbo was subsequently caught cheating at the Vegas Champs event, resulting in Orbit's forfeit. Follow me on Twitter @ratio_news

Legendary esports orgs OpTic Gaming (est. 2006) and FaZe Clan (est. 2010) share one of the most storied rivalries in competitive gaming history. Today, their biggest battles often manifest in Call of Duty League playoff matches between franchise squads OpTic Texas and Atlanta FaZe. The former have a reputation for extremely passionate fans, but also national acclaim and historical renown for their past roster dynasty of Scump, Crimsix, Formal, and other esteemed players. FaZe, meanwhile, have recently proposed a new dynasty featuring 2022 MVP Cellium and “Tiny Terrors” Simp and Abezy. Now, I don’t need to give Saints’ fans any explanation as to why we root against Atlanta on Sundays, but could you just imagine if the Cowboys—“America’s Team” and state neighbors—became members of the NFC South? This hypothetical is somewhat of a pitch to the CDL (Call of Duty League) to give New Orleans a franchise spot, and to give fan-favorite Texas and infamous Atlanta some close competition. I am partial to NOLA FLIGHT as top contenders for the role, although a 25-million-dollar league entry fee far exceeds even the most generous of budgets. Putting that aside, a New Orleans team to complement the city's NFL and NBA counterparts would make sense for the league as whole. A Southern CDL division could include NOLA, Texas, Atlanta, and my beloved Florida Mutineers. If we’re expanding the league to 14 teams here, we may as well bring a team back to Chicago, too, as the legendary sporting city has been spurned by OpTic’s Chicago Huntsmen and OpTic Chicago, adding more lore to the history book. As of now, the Crescent City continues to merely sit in between one of the greatest rivalries in esports, waiting to get in on the action. Follow me on Twitter @ratio_news