Stuart "TosspoT" Saw, another observer that has seen both sides of the spectrum for UK Call of Duty, is understandably pleased with how the scene has developed lately but remains cautious. "MYM struggled through CoD2 and sure they blame lack of motivation or love for the game but the reality is they are a somewhat self-destructive bunch of players, they've just stopped pressing that button for the time being," he says of the former TLR squad.

"As for Dignitas, they always had highs and lows in CoD2" he argues, "Mick just needed someone to take some of the load off him and SKO was an incredible pickup. I'm not convinced how much you can read into the early stages of any game though and for me fnatic are still the safest bet. I'd be surprised if the UK teams haven't had a problem or made a change before them, their track records just don't build long term confidence." He continues, "But I'd love to be wrong, both have done incredibly well and one can only hope that they maintain it".

Many like "TosspoT" have pointed to the addition of "SKO" when it comes to Dignitas' change of fortune but "Mick" also stresses the effect of Call of Duty 4 on UK teams in general. "I think the UK playstyle has always been very aggressive and CoD2 was very campy and boring. In CoD4 you can play a lot more aggressive or pretty passive and it works out nicely, more rounds are won on skill rather then luck now" he explains.

Aside from these issues, the improving e-sports infrastructure in the United Kingdom has also undoubtedly helped teams compete internationally. Multiplay's i-series has come on in leaps and bounds in the last year and with major cash going into their CoD4 tournaments, UK CoD teams have been given a springboard for European success. Could MYM have managed a second place finish at CDC4 if they hadn't grown accustomed to the pressure of offline play at numerous i-series events? It is far from certain. Now with top sides from all over the world attending, UK teams of all levels are improving as competition at their "local" event gets more and more intense. Competition breeds talent and in the UK, the i-series has done just that.

"i33 allowed those who hadn't had the chance before to go head to head with the best in Europe and show that the UK really does have a very deep field of talent in Call of Duty" explains QuadV's Paul "ReDeYe" Chaloner, another astute follower of the UK Call of Duty scene. "I would like to think that part of the reason for MYM picking up the UK guys had something to do with the promotion of CoD4 by Stuart Saw at CDC and by Multiplay at i33".

The test now for the UK's best is to triumph abroad this summer. Challenging competitors await the British sides at AEF and the-eXperience and MYM and Dignitas will want to return home to i34 the following weekend with their reputations intact. That they possess the requisite talent is a given but, as TosspoT warns, stability and consistency are the key factors and both have blighted these teams in the past. UK CoD has clawed its way back from the brink of insignificance and is now a hair's breadth from cementing itself as the dominant force in the early CoD4 scene. Will it live up to the challenge?