Ben Bance, who used to play for Minnesota Rokkr & Toronto Ultra, is announcing his retirement after his Esports World Cup elimination. This announcement marks a dramatic end to the illustrious career of one of Europe’s most successful Call of Duty players in the last ten years.
Tributes began pouring in from other professionals and fans who had been following the player for some time after it was announced via Bance’s social media channels.
Final Chapter with Team Orchid
After leaving Minnesota Rokkr in 2023, Bance has spent time on the Challengers circuit that saw him play for Team WaR, Noctem Esports and most recently Team Orchid. Team Orchid’s last tournament of his career was the Esports World Cup in Riyadh, where he finished in the top 16.
The European Challengers competition was dominated by Team Orchid. In June, the team finished 4th at the Challengers Finals, receiving R225,000 (~$12,000) as a prize for it.
A Decade of Excellence
Bance made his professional debut in the Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare season in November 2014. Joining Splyce in December 2015, after representing Team Infused and Exertus eSports, would be the start of his international major career. Bance made a name for himself during the Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 days – particularly for his specialist usage that turned the tide in key games.
In 2016, Splyce reached the World Championship final. It was the first time a European team had reached the final since 2011. The team reached the finals with the help of Bance. The team is ENVY.
After leaving Splyce in 2019, Bance competed with a number of teams before becoming one of the first members of Toronto Ultra when Call of Duty esports transitioned to a franchise model.
The 2021 season saw perhaps the greatest achievement of Bance’s career as Toronto Ultra won the Stage 2 Major, meaning he joined an exclusive group of European players to have won a major tournament with a European roster.
Over the course of his 10-year career Bance has been one of European’s top talents consistently reaching the later stages of tournaments. The end of an era in European Call of Duty is upon us. As a new generation starts to make their mark, now is the right time for him to retirement.