| |||||||||||||||||
| Call of Duty League | ||
 | ||
| Event Information | ||
| Abbreviation | CDL | |
|---|---|---|
| Organizer | Activision Major League Gaming | |
| Location | International | |
| Social Media and Links | ||
| ||
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.
History[]
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.[1] 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.[2] On May 2, 2019, Activision unveiled the first five cities participating in the Call of Duty League.[3] 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:[4]
- 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:[5]
- 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:[6]
- 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.[7]
- On November 11, 2020, Chicago Huntsmen rebranded to OpTic Chicago.[8]
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.[9]
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.[10]
Teams[]
The current teams in the Call of Duty League are:
| City | Team Name | Owner | Announcement Date | First Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta |  Atlanta FaZe
|
Atlanta Esports Ventures (affiliation with FaZe Clan) | 2019-05-02 | 2020 |
| Chicago |  OpTic Chicago
|
NRG (affiliation with OpTic Gaming) | 2020-11-11 | 2021 |
| Dallas |  Dallas Empire
|
Envy Gaming, Inc (affiliation with Team Envy) | 2019-05-02 | 2020 |
| Florida |  Florida Mutineers
|
Misfits Gaming | 2019-08-20 | 2020 |
| London |  London Royal Ravens
|
ReKTGlobal | 2019-09-13 | 2020 |
| Los Angeles |  Los Angeles Guerrillas
|
Kroenke Sports & Entertainment | 2019-08-20 | 2020 |
| Los Angeles |  Los Angeles Thieves
|
100 Thieves | 2020-11-06 | 2021 |
| Minnesota |  Minnesota RØKKR
|
WISE Ventures, LLC | 2019-07-01 | 2020 |
| New York |  New York Subliners
|
Andbox | 2019-05-02 | 2020 |
| Paris |  Paris Legion
|
c0ntact Gaming, LLC | 2019-05-02 | 2020 |
| Seattle |  Seattle Surge
|
Enthusiast Gaming & Canucks Sports & Entertainment (affiliation with Luminosity Gaming) | 2019-09-13 | 2020 |
| Toronto |  Toronto Ultra
|
OverActive Media (affiliation with Splyce) | 2019-05-02 | 2020 |
The former teams in the Call of Duty League are:
| City | Team Name | Owner | First Season | Final Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles |  OpTic Gaming Los Angeles
|
Immortals Gaming Club (affiliation with OpTic Gaming) | 2020 | 2020 |
| Chicago |  Chicago Huntsmen
|
NRG | 2020 | 2020 |
Format[]
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.[11]
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.
Events[]
2021 Season[]
| Game | Start | End | Tournament | Location | Teams | Prize | Winner | Second |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-08-19 | 2021-08-22 | Call of Duty League Championship 2021 | Los Angeles | 8 | $ 2,500,000 |  ATL FaZe
|
 TOR Ultra
| |
| 2021-01-23 | 2021-08-18 | Call of Duty League 2021 Season | International | 12 | $ 5,000,000 | |||
| 2021-07-29 | 2021-08-01 | Call of Duty League 2021 - Stage 5 Major | Arlington | 12 | $ 500,000 |  MIN RØKKR
|
TOR Ultra
| |
| 2021-07-08 | 2021-07-25 | Call of Duty League 2021 - Stage 5 | United States | 12 | ||||
| 2021-06-17 | 2021-06-20 | Call of Duty League 2021 - Stage 4 Major | Arlington | 12 | $ 500,000 | ATL FaZe
|
 DAL Empire
| |
| 2021-05-27 | 2021-06-13 | Call of Duty League 2021 - Stage 4 | United States | 12 | ||||
| 2021-05-22 | 2021-05-23 | Call of Duty League 2021 - All-Star Weekend Pro Skills 1v1 | United States | 16 |  Team aBeZy
|
 Team Dashy
| ||
| 2021-05-22 | 2021-05-23 | Call of Duty League 2021 - All-Star Weekend Caster Draft 4v4 | United States | 4 |  Team Chance
|
 Team NAMELESS
| ||
| 2021-05-13 | 2021-05-16 | Call of Duty League 2021 - Stage 3 Major | United States | 12 | $ 500,000 | ATL FaZe
|
 NY Subliners
| |
| 2021-04-22 | 2021-05-09 | Call of Duty League 2021 - Stage 3 | United States | 12 | ||||
| 2021-04-07 | 2021-04-11 | Call of Duty League 2021 - Stage 2 Major | United States | 12 | $ 500,000 | TOR Ultra
|
ATL FaZe
| |
| 2021-03-18 | 2021-04-04 | Call of Duty League 2021 - Stage 2 | United States | 12 | ||||
| 2021-03-03 | 2021-03-07 | Call of Duty League 2021 - Stage 1 Major | United States | 12 | $ 500,000 | ATL FaZe
|
DAL Empire
| |
| 2021-02-11 | 2021-02-28 | Call of Duty League 2021 - Stage 1 | United States | 12 | ||||
| 2021-01-23 | 2021-01-24 | Call of Duty League 2021 - Kickoff Classic | North America | 12 |
2020 Season[]
| Game | Start | End | Tournament | Location | Teams | Prize | Winner | Second |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-09-12 | 2020-09-13 | Call of Duty League 2020 - All-Star Weekend 1v1 | North America | 32 | $ 100,000 |  Cellium
|
Clayster
| |
| 2020-09-13 | 2020-09-13 | CDL All-Star 2020 - Mobile Exhibition | North America | 2 | Team Pros
|
Team Casters
| ||
| 2020-09-12 | 2020-09-12 | CDL All-Star 2020: US Army 2v2 Face-Off | North America | 2 | Malik & Dexy
|
NAMELESS & Flo
| ||
| 2020-08-19 | 2020-08-30 | Call of Duty League Championship 2020 | North America | 12 | $ 4,600,000 | DAL Empire
|
ATL FaZe
| |
| 2020-08-30 | 2020-08-30 | CDL Championship 2020: US Army 2v2 Face-Off | North America | 2 | Maven & MerK
|
US Army Esports
| ||
| 2020-08-21 | 2020-08-21 | CDL Championship 2020: Mobile Special Exhibition | North America | 4 |  Team Miles
|
MerK
| ||
| 2020-01-24 | 2020-08-18 | Call of Duty League 2020 Season | International | 12 | $ 6,000,000 | |||
| 2020-07-26 | 2020-07-26 | CDL Warzone Weekend: Week 6 | North America | 14 | $ 8,000 | DAL Empire
|
 OpTic Gaming LA
| |
| 2020-07-24 | 2020-07-26 | Call of Duty League 2020 Week 13 - Toronto | Canada | 8 | $ 100,000 | TOR Ultra
|
ATL FaZe
| |
| 2020-07-17 | 2020-07-19 | Call of Duty League 2020 Week 12 - London | United States | 8 | $ 100,000 | DAL Empire
|
 PAR Legion
| |
| 2020-07-19 | 2020-07-19 | CDL Warzone Weekend: Week 5 | North America | $ 10,000 | Team SiLLY
|
Team Octane
| ||
| 2020-07-10 | 2020-07-12 | Call of Duty League 2020 Week 11 - New York | United States | 8 | $ 100,000 | NY Subliners
|
 CHI Huntsmen
| |
| 2020-07-12 | 2020-07-12 | CDL Warzone Weekend: Week 4 | North America | $ 10,000 | Priestahh & Cellium
|
Denz & Zed
| ||
| 2020-06-19 | 2020-06-21 | Call of Duty League 2020 Week 10 - Paris | United States | 8 | $ 100,000 |  FLA Mutineers
|
ATL FaZe
| |
| 2020-06-21 | 2020-06-21 | CDL Warzone Weekend: Week 3 | North America | 60 | $ 10,000 | Rambo
|
 Team iLLeY
| |
| 2020-06-14 | 2020-06-14 | CDL Warzone Weekend: Week 2 | North America | 15 | $ 10,000 | Team Ricky
|
Team Loony
| |
| 2020-06-12 | 2020-06-14 | Call of Duty League 2020 Week 9 - Minnesota | Minneapolis | 8 | $ 100,000 | FLA Mutineers
|
ATL FaZe
| |
| 2020-05-24 | 2020-05-24 | CDL Warzone Weekend: Week 1 | North America | 12 | $ 10,000 | PAR Legion
|
FLA Mutineers
| |
| 2020-05-22 | 2020-05-24 | Call of Duty League 2020 Week 8 - Seattle | Seattle | 8 | $ 100,000 | CHI Huntsmen
|
 LDN Royal Ravens
| |
| 2020-05-08 | 2020-05-10 | Call of Duty League 2020 Week 7 - Florida | United States | 8 | $ 100,000 | ATL FaZe
|
OpTic Gaming LA
| |
| 2020-04-24 | 2020-04-26 | Call of Duty League 2020 Week 6 - Chicago | Chicago | 8 | $ 100,000 | DAL Empire
|
ATL FaZe
| |
| 2020-04-10 | 2020-04-12 | Call of Duty League 2020 Week 5 - Dallas | Dallas | 8 | $ 100,000 | FLA Mutineers
|
MIN RØKKR
| |
| 2020-04-05 | 2020-04-05 | Call of Duty League 2020 Exhibition Match 2 | 4 | |||||
| 2020-03-29 | 2020-03-29 | Call of Duty League 2020 Exhibition Match 1 | 2 | |||||
| 2020-03-07 | 2020-03-08 | Call of Duty League 2020 Week 4 - Los Angeles | Los Angeles | 8 | $ 100,000 | DAL Empire
|
MIN RØKKR
| |
| 2020-02-22 | 2020-02-23 | Call of Duty League 2020 Week 3 - Atlanta | College Park | 8 | $ 100,000 | ATL FaZe
|
FLA Mutineers
| |
| 2020-02-08 | 2020-02-09 | Call of Duty League 2020 Week 2 - London | London | 8 | $ 100,000 | CHI Huntsmen
|
DAL Empire
| |
| 2020-01-24 | 2020-01-26 | Call of Duty League 2020 Launch Weekend | Minneapolis | 12 |
Organization[]
Current[]
| C | ID | Name | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johanna Faries | League Commissioner | ||
| Xav | Xav de Matos | Head of Public Relations | |
| Spencer Peterson | Head of Player Relations |
Media[]
- 2019
- 2020
- October 18, Call of Duty League Commissioner on Why It’s Time for a Franchise Model with Axel Stedman on Variety
- October 18, Call of Duty League reveals schedule details for inaugural season by Aron Garst on ESPN
- October 18, First Details of 2020 Competition by CallofDuty Esports on r/CoDCompetitive
- October 29, Call of Duty League Season Launches January 24, 2020 by League News on Call of Duty League
- December 24, Call of Duty League Adds pro Tournaments for 2020 Season by League News on Call of Duty League
- January 10, Chicago Huntsmen Prepare for War | The Campaign Episode 1 by Call of Duty League on YouTube
- January 15, Where’s Formal? | The Campaign Episode 2 by Call of Duty League on YouTube
- January 15, What must e-sports’ first female commissioner do to become a true trailblazer? Turn a profit by Lisa Marie Segarra on Fortune
- January 23, Call of Duty League announces sponsors for 2020 season by Keshav Bhat on Charlie Intel
- January 24, Activision Blizzard And Google Enter Into Multi-Year Strategic Relationship To Power New Player Experiences by Google Inc on PR Newswire
- January 29, Maven and TeePee reveal plans to fix Call of Duty League event issues by Brad Norton on Dexerto
- February 13, Sources: YouTube’s Deal With Activision Blizzard Valued At $160M by Adam Stern on The Esports Observer
- March 7, Call of Duty League adds additional sponsors by Keshav Bhat on Charlie INTEL
- December 18, 2021 Call of Duty League Season Structure Details by League News on Call of Duty League
References[]
- ↑ CODLeague Announcement Tweet by CODLeague on Twitter
- ↑ OWL owners granted first right of negotiation for possible Call of Duty franchising, sources say by Jacob Wolf on ESPN.
- ↑ Five Call of Duty franchises announced by Reuters on ESPN
- ↑ Announcement: Los Angeles and Minnesota join Call of Duty esports league by Call of Duty Staff on Activision Blog
- ↑ Call of Duty league adds franchises in Los Angeles, Florida by Mike Hume on The Washington Post
- ↑ London, Seattle, and Chicago unveiled as latest Call of Duty franchises by Ross Deason on Dexerto
- ↑ Announcing a new Los Angeles team for the competitive Call of Duty League in 2021. #LAThieves - twitter.com
- ↑ OpTic Gaming's Tweet - twitter.com
- ↑ Call of Duty League announces sponsors for 2020 season by Keshav Blat on CharlieINTEL
- ↑ Call of Duty League adds additional sponsors by Keshav Blat on CharlieINTEL
- ↑ Welcome to the Call of Duty League - callofdutyleague.com