Call of Duty eSports continues to explode in popularity and growth, but only one player has become the face of the community. Matt “NaDeSHoT” Haag has roots in humble beginnings as a simple kid with an interest in video games, but he grew from a teenager with an unappealing job at a fast food restaurant to a colossal figure in the video game industry. Think of it as a modern rags-to-riches story.

Coinciding with the explosion of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, NaDeSHoT began competing with Team Genesis where he placed eighth at 2009’s MLG National Championship. That tournament was the spark that ignited his long-winded career, and he eventually joined the OpTic Gaming brand in 2010 during the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 season.

While his early career with OpTic seemed lackluster, NaDeSHoT managed to retain a continuous Top 10 placement despite his multiple transitions between OpTic Gaming, OpTic Nation, and Team EnVyUs during the Call of Duty: Black Ops season.

NaDeSHoT’s leap into Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 delivered spectacular results as he rejoined OpTic Gaming. The team won Call of Duty XP, the largest tournament that existed at the time, and won a $100,000 grand prize. Outside of a fourth place finish at the 2012 UMG Invitational with team JuKeD and a third place finish with a pick-up team at the 2012 UMG Championships, NaDeSHoT has firmly remained inside the OpTic family.

His competitive prowess ensured a wide amount of success for the OpTic brand while he retained a personal Top 10 tournament placement. And with a sponsorship by Red Bull, NaDeSHoT was continuously experiencing growth.

Call of Duty: Ghosts introduced an unfamiliar struggle to the professional league. During a span of numerous, repetitive roster shifts and surprisingly negative results for several teams, most fans were left with a shaky sense of instability during competitive play. Outside of the notorious run by Evil Geniuses, other teams like OpTic Gaming remained overwhelmed in competition.

This was the first time NaDeSHoT ever slipped out of a Top 10 tournament finish. The team grabbed a 13th and 12th place standings at the MLG Fall Championship in 2013 and UMG Philadelphia in 2014. After a third place finish at the 2014 Call of Duty Championship, NaDeSHoT and his team made video game history by becoming the first team to win X Games gold medals at the 2014 MLG X Games Invitational.

Leading into the Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare season, NaDeSHoT found incredible success with an OpTic roster that included Ian “Crimsix” Porter, Seth “Scump” Abner, and Matt “FormaL” Piper, winning three out of five tournaments. With OpTic Gaming resting comfortably at the top of the leaderboard, the entire community predicted OpTic’s victory in the 2015 Call of Duty Championship.

OpTic Gaming’s seventh place finish came as a major surprise to the community, an event that negatively impacted the team’s composure. But the shocking conclusion of Champs led to an even larger surprise: NaDeSHoT’s departure from the team.

NaDeSHoT made the announcement on YouTube, stating, “If you asked me two months ago if I was going to be making a video like this, I would have told you you were absolutely crazy. Things change, people change, situations change.”

He continued, “I am going to be taking a break from competitive Call of Duty. The reason why I’m calling it a break or a leave of absence instead of retirement is because I’m very confident that I will be revisiting my competitive roots and continue to compete in the next Call of Duty title.”

With Scump now in the role as Captain, the squad will have to focus on a rebuild as they continue to battle through the second season of the MLG Pro League. Despite the upset at the Call of Duty Championship, OpTic Gaming sits in first place standing in the league, resting with a current 10 match wins and two losses.

NaDeSHoT’s temporary departure will allow him the time and space to pursue other projects without the constant stress of competitive play. As an entertaining and relatable personality, NaDeSHoT’s move away from professional competitions will allow him the chance to focus his target on a wider audience.

As a co-owner of OpTic Gaming and a vital figure in the community, NaDeSHoT’s story of success is only beginning.

Image credit: włodi via Flickr (CC by 2.0). Modified for cropping/opacity.

Crystal Mills writes about Call of Duty for theScore eSports. Follow her on Twitter.