Call of Duty League

The Call of Duty League is the premier professional esports league for Call of Duty, organized by Activision. The league is a global, city-based esports league composed of 12 professional teams, representing 11 markets across North America and Europe. See Call of Duty Challengers for the official amateur competition of the Call of Duty League.

Announcement
The Call of Duty League was officially announced on October 9, 2019, on Twitter with the release of a promotional video displaying the 12 cities participating in the inaugural season. The participating cities had previously been announced between earlier in the year during the 2019 season.

First Five Teams
In June 2018, it was revealed by ESPN that owners of teams participating in the Overwatch League (operated by Blizzard Entertainment) would be granted first right of negotiation for a Call of Duty franchising spot. On May 2, 2019, Activision unveiled the first five cities participating in the Call of Duty League. The cities announced were:
 * Atlanta - owned by Atlanta Esports Ventures and affiliated with FaZe Clan
 * Dallas - owned by Envy Gaming, Inc and affiliated with Team Envy
 * New York - owned by Andbox
 * Paris - owned by c0ntact Gaming, LLC
 * Toronto - owned by OverActive Media and affiliated with Splyce

Further Teams Announced
On July 1, 2019 two more cities were announced:
 * Los Angeles (Immortals) - owned by Immortals Gaming Club and affiliated with OpTic Gaming
 * Minnesota - owned by WISE Ventures, LLC

Two more cities took the total number of announced teams to nine on August 20, 2019:
 * Florida - owned by Misfits Gaming
 * Los Angeles (Kroenke) - owned by Kroenke Sports & Entertainment

The remaining three cities were revealed on September 13, 2019, finalising the teams for the first season:
 * Chicago - owned by NRG
 * London - owned by ReKTGlobal
 * Seattle - owned by Enthusiast Gaming and Canucks Sports & Entertainment and affiliated with Luminosity Gaming

Teams Changes

 * On November 6, 2020, Los Angeles Thieves acquired the spot of OpTic Gaming Los Angeles.
 * On November 11, 2020, Chicago Huntsmen rebranded to OpTic Chicago.

Team Roster Construction Details
For full roster construction rules for each season, see Roster Construction Rules.

League Sponsors
On January 23, 2020 the Call of Duty League announced it's list of sponsors for the 2020 season.

The sponsors are PlayStation, MTN DEW® AMP® GAME FUEL®, ASTRO Gaming, SCUF Gaming and U.S. Air Force.

Official Call of Duty League apparel is supplied by Outerstuff, with authentic headwear provided by Mitchell & Ness.

Two more sponsors, Twitter and U.S. Army were announced on March 7.

Teams
The current teams in the Call of Duty League are:

The former teams in the Call of Duty League are:

Season
Call of Duty League events will be hosted by teams in their respective home markets. The league will also host its own event weekends, including the Call of Duty League Midseason Weekend and Call of Duty League Championship Weekend.

Original Format
The regular season is divided into two splits – not including the postseason. Throughout the season, teams are ranked by match wins and losses to determine who advances to the Playoffs. The post-season will feature the top 8 teams from the season, including 2 wild card spots that advance to the playoffs. During the Call of Duty League Championship Weekend, the final 6 Playoffs teams will face off in double-elimination competition until the final two pro teams go head to head in the Call of Duty League Championship.

Updated Format
Each home series event will feature an eight team tournament with teams earning points throughout the season to qualify for the season ending playoffs.

Major Weekend Events
The Call of Duty League Launch Weekend will take place in early 2020. Call of Duty League will also host the Call of Duty League Midseason Weekend and the Call of Duty League Championship Weekend.

Home Series Events
Each team in the Call of Duty League will host two Home Series events in their market, one in each split. Each Home Series weekend will feature multiple pro team matches, including the host city team. All host cities have the option to host additional events at their Home Series, including amateur open bracket competition.

Match Format
All matches will take place in a Best of 5 Series with multiple maps and modes. Mid-match substitutions are allowed.

Age Restriction
Players must be 18 years old or older to compete in official Call of Duty League events.

Two Way Players
Non-starting players on Call of Duty League rosters will be eligible to compete in official Call of Duty Challengers events.

Challenger Points
Challenger Points awarded to Call of Duty League players for seeding purposes in Call of Duty Challengers in case they are a two way player or are no longer a part of a Call of Duty League roster.