What is Kaysan’s Showdown 8

Kaysan, a known organiser in the competitive Call of Duty scene  returns today with “Showdown 8,” a 4-vs-4 LAN tournament featuring four top teams, playing Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
The tournament carries a US$50,000 prize pool. 
The event is held offline (in Dallas, United States). 

 Format & Schedule

Showdown 8 uses a 4v4 format, aligning with prior “Showdown” tournaments by Kaysan. 
This edition seems to take place in a double-elimination bracket (typical for 4-team LANs), though full bracket details and matchups are not yet publicly confirmed. On Reddit, a fan speculated:

Matches begin today (local US time), but depending on time-zone differences, UK viewers might catch some matches late evening or early Monday morning. According to the schedule listed, the first games go live at 20:00 UTC on 30 November. 

 Who’s Playing

The four teams invited to Showdown 8 are:

• FaZe Vegas

• Los Angeles Thieves

• Paris Gentle Mates

• OpTic Texas 

These are among the more recognised names in competitive CoD, which should make for compelling match-ups.

 What Makes This Edition Interesting

• High stakes for a small tournament: For a 4-team LAN, $50K is a substantial prize pool enough to attract serious competition.

• Crossplay & new game engine: With Black Ops 7 and cross-platform play, fans are curious to see how teams adapt, especially those used to previous titles.

• Short but intense: With just four teams and a likely double-elim format, every match carries real weight  one mistake could cost a squad the tournament.

• Pre-CDL hype: As some community comments note, this event feels like a warm-up for bigger tournaments ahead, possibly giving teams a chance to test roster synergies and strategies under pressure.

How to Watch / What to Expect

If Showdown 8 follows past Kaysan events, matches will likely be streamed live (often via Twitch or similar platforms), making it accessible to international viewers. Recent Kaysan tournaments have used online streaming for coverage. 
Expect a mix of game modes/maps typical for competitive Black Ops 7, including Hardpoint, Search & Destroy, and potentially others (though the exact map pool for this tournament hasn’t been fully detailed yet).