The official start of the Call of Duty League 2021 season is finally here. Ahead of this week’s opening stage hosted by Atlanta FaZe, we have your complete guide to the season and outline everything there is to look forward to.
WHEN DOES IT START?
Call of Duty League’s 2021 Opening Weekend will take place February 11th – 14th and all matches will be broadcast on YouTube.com/CODLeague.
The opening match of the event on February 11th will see Minnesota Røkkr facing off against Los Angeles Thieves at 8PM (GMT), kicking off four consecutive days of exciting matches to determine who will start the season on the front foot.
Find the full schedule here.
WHAT’S DIFFERENT THIS YEAR?
It’s a new game
New year, new title, and it is with great excitement that the rosters will compete in this year’s tournament in Call of Duty®: Black Ops Cold War maps. There will be more Search & Destroy and Hardpoint this season as well, with Control taking the third slot in place of Domination.
CDL is now on PC
The League has switched from Console to PC for all pro matches this year. As part of this transition, the competition will maintain exclusive use of controllers for the upcoming season.
Cheer on your team in each round
This years’ stage-based competitive system will see five Stages in the regular season, followed by a high stakes Major tournament at the end of each Stage. All 12 teams will play each week, giving you more opportunities than ever to cheer on your favourite team.
Heading back to 4v4
Following the introduction of the 5v5 format last year, the CDL is now returning to 4v4 to allow for clearer action, the highest quality of gameplay and more space for miraculous plays.
Welcome back LA Thieves
The exciting Los Angeles Thieves have returned to competitive COD, while the OpTic Gaming brand has returned to Hector Rodriguez as OpTic Chicago.
To check out everything new this season, click here. You can also watch this ‘explainer’ video to brush up on your CDL knowledge here.
WHAT TEAMS ARE COMPETING?
Atlanta FaZe
- Chris “Simp” Lehr
- McArthur “Cellium” Jovel
- Tyler “aBeZy” Pharris
- Alec “Arcitys” Sanderson
OpTic Chicago
- Seth “Scump” Abner
- Brandon “Dashy” Otell
- Matthew “FormaL” Piper
- Dylan “Envoy” Hannon
Dallas Empire
- Cuyler “Huke” Garland
- Anthony “Shotzzy” Cuevas-Castro
- Indervir “iLLeY” Dhaliwal
- Ian “C6” Porter
Florida Mutineers
- Cesar “Skyz” Bueno
- Joseph “Owakening” Conley
- Travis “Neptune” McCloud
- Josiah “Slacked” Berry
London Royal Ravens
- Sean “Seany” O’Connor
- Alex “Alexx” Carpenter
- Thomas “Dylan” Henderson
- Trei “Zer0” Morris
Los Angeles Thieves
- Austin “SlasheR” Liddicoat
- Kenny “Kenny” Williams
- Thomas “TJHaLy” Haly
- Donovan “Temp” Laroda
Los Angeles Guerrillas
- Reece “Vivid” Drost
- Justin “SiLLY” Fargo-Palmer
- Adam “Assault” Garcia
- Bryan “Apathy” Zhelyazkov
Minnesota Røkkr
- Preston “Priestahh” Greiner
- Dillon “Attach” Price
- Lamar “Accuracy” Abedi
- Michael “MajorManiak” Szymaniak
New York Subliners
- James “Clayster” Eubanks
- Makenzie “Mack” Kelley
- Obaid “Asim” Asim
- Conor “Diamondcon” Johst
Paris Legion
- Ulysses “AquA” Silva
- Luis “Fire” Rivera
- Nicholas “Classic” DiCostanzo
- Matthew “Skrapz” Marshall
Seattle Surge
- Sam “Octane” Larew
- Peirce “Gunless” Hillman
- Preston “Prestinni” Sanderson
- Daniel “Loony” Loza
Toronto Ultra
- Anthony “Methodz” Zinni
- Tobias “CleanX” Juul Jønsson
- Cameron “Cammy” McKilligan
- Ben “Bance” Bance
WHO IS TIPPED FOR GLORY?
This year will be the most competitive season in Call of Duty League history by a landslide. The talent is unmatched, and it could bring a few surprises.
Currently the favourite is Dallas Empire. With one of the best rosters in the league, featuring Ian “C6” Porter, the best Call of Duty player of all time, and 2020 MVP Anthony “Shotzzy” Cuevas-Castro, the team seems to be in a great position to take home a Championship.
However, Atlanta FaZe could have something to say about that. Despite the team’s rough patch last year when they struggled to win Hardpoints consistently, the addition of Alec “Arcitys” Sanderson to the roster brings the ability to provide that in-game coaching and leadership the team was previously lacking, giving them a chance of taking the trophy off Dallas.
Another factor to note is the change to a 4v4 set up, which could bring other threats to the top contenders. Indeed, both OpTic Chicago and the LA Thieves have benefitted from the change in structure and could be very competitive this year.
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE LONDON ROYAL RAVENS?
During the offseason and with the move to 4v4, the Royal Ravens released their entire roster except Sean “Seany” O’Connor and picked up Thomas “Dylan” Henderson, Trei “Zer0” Morris, and Alex “Alexx” Carpenter.
However, the Royal Ravens have assembled a solid team from top to bottom and have a potential superstar in Thomas “Dylan” Henderson. There is a chance that the team is going to be outmatched by some of the more star-studded rosters, with a lot of pressure being on Dylan and Zer0’s shoulders. If they do win a Major, it will be towards the end of the season.
EARN IN-GAME REWARDS WHILE YOU WATCH
This year when you watch Call of Duty League matches you can earn in-game rewards like exclusive emblems, calling cards, weapon stickers, charms, and more. Follow these steps to link your account and start earning during Opening Weekend on February 11.
Where can I find out more information?
Sign up for updates at callofdutyleague.com
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