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Call of Duty

Atlanta FaZe vs OpTic Chicago: Game to watch at CDL Opening Weekend

The Call of Duty League is back with a bang as esports giants Atlanta FaZe and OpTic Chicago collide at the Opening Weekend.

The inaugural season of the Call of Duty League saw a shift to online gameplay and Dallas Empire crowned champions.

This year will continue in an online format for the foreseeable future meaning fans will have to wait that bit longer to attend live events.

All 12 teams took part in showcase matches at the Kickoff Classic last month where we saw a glimpse of how teams are performing ahead of the 2021 season.

Now we look forward to the Opening Weekend hosted by Atlanta FaZe which kicks off on February 11.

There are some exciting match-ups across the weekend but the one that has everyone talking is the final series of the weekend – Atlanta FaZe vs OpTic Chicago.

A new rivalry – Atlanta vs Chicago

OpTic and FaZe are among the organisations that come to mind when talking about competitive Call of Duty.

Both have deep roots in Call of Duty and a subtle rivalry between the two has formed through the years.

With Atlanta FaZe and OpTic Chicago looking like the teams to beat this season, this rivalry has the potential to intensify as the year progresses.

The young FaZe squad of Simp, aBeZy, Cellium and Arcitys is a dangerous team on paper.

However, they suffered an unexpected 3-2 defeat to the Mutineers at the Kickoff Classic.

Although this was only a showcase match, there were still thousands of fans watching the live broadcast and Atlanta’s performance was below par.

The T2P duo, Scump and Formal, are looking better than ever in pre-season scrims. The pair also stole the show at the Kickoff Classic where OpTic took down LA Thieves 3-0.

Formal suffered from internet issues last season as he was based in California. However, this year he moved to Texas with the rest of his team and looks like a whole new beast.

Heading into the Opening Weekend, it would seem OpTic have the slight upper hand over FaZe.

Who do you think will win the main event this weekend? Will T2P takeover? Or will Simp steal the show?

Let us know! Follow Dartfrog for all the latest Call of Duty news and analysis on our TwitterFacebookInstagram, and Twitch.

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Call of Duty

CDL 2021 season details revealed during Kickoff Classic

The Call of Duty League’s Kickoff Classic showcase event has concluded and more details about the 2021 season were revealed.

All 12 CDL teams took part in the Kickoff Classic where fans voted for the matches they wanted to see.

In addition to the six matches that took place, a more in-depth look at the 2021 season’s structure was detailed throughout the stream.

The season will be separated into five stages with each stage spanning over three weeks. All stages will culminate in a major where brackets are decided by each team’s performance in the stages.

The Playoffs will then take place after all five majors where teams will compete to win the Call of Duty League Championship, previously won by Dallas Empire.

A group draw was carried out to decide which six teams would be in Group A and which six teams would be in Group B.

Watch the draw show here:

Every team will host their own home series on 12 separate weekends throughout the season. The first home series will be hosted by Atlanta FaZe at the Opening Weekend on February 11-14.

Here is a look at the full schedule for the CDL 2021 season:

CDL 2021 Opening Weekend schedule

The first weekend of matches are quickly approaching and you will not want to miss all the action. Here is a look at the full schedule for the Opening Weekend hosted by Atlanta FaZe:

  • THU, FEB 11 8:00 PM MINNESOTA RØKKR VS LOS ANGELES THIEVES
  • THU, FEB 11 9:30 PM SEATTLE SURGE VS DALLAS EMPIRE
  • FRI, FEB 12 8:00 PM PARIS LEGION VS OPTIC CHICAGO
  • FRI, FEB 12 9:30 PM LOS ANGELES GUERRILLAS VS ATLANTA FAZE
  • SAT, FEB 13 8:00 PM PARIS LEGION VS LOS ANGELES GUERRILLAS
  • SAT, FEB 13 9:30 PM TORONTO ULTRA VS FLORIDA MUTINEERS
  • SAT, FEB 13 11:00 PM NEW YORK SUBLINERS VS LOS ANGELES THIEVES
  • SUN, FEB 14 8:00 PM SEATTLE SURGE VS LONDON ROYAL RAVENS
  • SUN, FEB 14 9:30 PM MINNESOTA RØKKR VS DALLAS EMPIRE
  • SUN, FEB 14 11:00 PM OPTIC CHICAGO VS ATLANTA FAZE

Who will you be rooting for this season?

Let us know!

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Call of Duty

CDL 2021 Kickoff Classic & Opening Weekend announced

The Call of Duty League is finally back as the first two events of the year are announced. We have all the details you need to get set for the 2021 CDL season.

In just over one week’s time, the CDL will celebrate the one year anniversary of the league with the Kickoff Classic. All 12 teams will compete in matches that have been voted for by the fans.

The Kickoff Classic can be streamed live on the CDL YouTube channel. It begins at 3PM ET/12PM PT/8PM GMT on January 23-24.

More details of the 2021 CDL season will also be revealed during the Kickoff Classic so keep your eyes peeled.

Kickoff Classic Schedule:

The CDL Opening Weekend will be hosted by Atlanta FaZe and takes place from February 11-14. All 12 CDL teams will compete in the Opening Weekend, and every other event this season, following a format change.

Teams will compete on PC instead of PlayStation and in teams of four. Five majors will take place this year as well as the usual Home Series events. The top eight teams at the end of the year will advance to Playoffs.

With more details on the event expected at the Kickoff Classic, the Opening Weekend can be streamed on the CDL YouTube channel.

Notable matches at Kickoff Classic

The six matches being played at the Kickoff Classic next week have been picked by the fans so there are bound to be some exciting storylines.

OpTic Chicago vs Los Angeles Thieves

OpTic Gaming was recently reacquired by former owner Hector Rodriguez. The OpTic Chicago franchise now look forward to their first year in the CDL in place of Chicago Huntsmen.

100 Thieves owner, Nadeshot, bought the Los Angeles spot in the league previously held by LA OpTic. They are also preparing for their first season in the league.

The 100 Thieves vs OpTic Gaming match-up is one that all Call of Duty fans long for. Their last meeting on Black Ops 4 ended in 100 Thieves’ favour but the tables may turn this year with new teams, a new game and a new format.

OpTic Chicago vs LA Thieves will begin at 6PM ET/3PM PT/11 PM GMT on January 24.

Dallas Empire vs New York Subliners

Clayster’s controversial removal from the Dallas Empire squad after their Championship win caused uproar amongst the community. The move to a 4v4 format meant that many top players were dropped from their teams.

New York Subliners picked up the three-time world champion and he will now face his old team at the Kickoff Classic. He will no doubt be looking for revenge on his former teammates.

The match will be first on, starting at 3PM ET/12PM PT/8PM on January 23.

Are you looking forward to the Kickoff Classic?

Let us know!

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Call of Duty

Call of Duty League 2021 season structure details announced

A glimpse at the new Call of Duty League structure has given us a better idea of what to expect in the 2021 season.

The 2020 Call of Duty League Championship marked the end of the inaugural CDL season in August of last year.

Since then, all 12 teams except Paris Legion have confirmed their rosters and a switch back to a 4v4 format was announced with matches being played on PC and controller.

To the surprise of many fans, LA Thieves joined the Call of Duty League and the Chicago Huntsmen are no more due to Hector Rodriguez’ reacquisition of the OpTic Gaming brand.

Finally, as we approach the new year, the CDL have gifted us an early Christmas present and provided us with a few details about the new season.

The CDL said: “Tournaments are back as high stakes Majors that will feature all 12 teams in the Call of Duty League competing in double-elimination competition. Tournament seeding will be determined by head-to-head group play matches over the course of three Home Series weeks leading up to each Major.

“The regular season will include five stages, each culminating in a Major Tournament. During each stage, all teams will compete in five group play matches to determine their seed in each Major.”

Teams will also earn CDL Points throughout the season just as last year. Additionally, they will have the opportunity to earn additional points distributed based on their performance at Majors.

The top eight teams in the CDL Points standings will qualify for Playoffs at the end of the season.

Confirmed CDL 2021 rosters

Atlanta FaZe – Simp, Abezy, Cellium, Arcitys

Dallas Empire – Shotzzy, Huke, iLLeY, C6

Florida Mutineers – Havok, Owakening, Skyz, Slacked

London Royal Ravens – Seany, Alexx, Dylan, Zer0

Los Angeles Guerillas – Vivid, Apathy, Assault, SiLLY

Los Angeles Thieves – Kenny, Slasher, Temp, TJHaly

Minnesota Rokkr – Attach, MajorManiak, Priestahh, Accuracy

New York Subliners – ZooMaa, Mack, Clayster, HyDra

OpTic Chicago – Scump, Formal, Envoy, Dashy

Paris Legion – Unconfirmed

Seattle Surge – Octane, Gunless, Prestinni, Loony

Toronto Ultra – Cammy, CleanX, Methodz, Bance

More information about the Call of Duty League 2021 season will be revealed in the coming weeks.

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Call of Duty

Call of Duty Challengers Cup 1: NA, EU & APAC final placings

The 2021 Call of Duty season kicked off with the first Challengers Cup at the weekend across all three regions.

A whopping 1,443 teams competed altogether in the three separate online events. They included a lot of familiar faces from three-time world champion Karma to fellow veterans Aches and Parasite.

The matches were played on recently released Black Ops Cold War in a single elimination format up to top eight. From top eight, the matches were played in best of five series with double elimination.

The NA and EU regions competed for $2,500 each whilst the lesser populated APAC region competed for $1,500.

Whilst there was no official coverage from the Call of Duty League for the event, a broadcast team was put together to provide coverage for Challengers fans. The broadcast talent included well-known personalities such as IHOLDSHIFT and former CWL caster, Chris Tunn.

Here is a look at how the matches played out with the final placements and prize pool distribution:

Challengers Cup 1 – APAC

A total of 85 teams competed in the Asia Pacific region of the Challengers Cup. Some notable players took part including former pro players Fighta and Shockz.

Renegades stood out as the team to beat prior to the tournament and they certainly lived up to expectations as they remained unbeaten on their way to the final.

Their team of Fighta, Louqa, Pred and Shockz proved too strong for VOID in the grand final as they took home $1,000.

1st Place – Renegades ($1,000)

2nd Place – VOID ($500)

3rd Place – Chiefs Esports Club

4th Place – 2Balanced

Challengers Cup 1 – EU

In Europe, 493 teams took part in the Challengers Cup. The competition was packed full of talent from young prospects to seasoned veterans so entertainment was never an issue.

House Tarth took the crown with a team of Defrag, Afro, Gismo and Peatie. They took home a sizeable $2,000 with Team Singularity finishing second and taking the remaining $500.

1st Place – House Tarth ($2,000)

2nd Place – Team Singularity ($500)

3rd Place – BULLFROG

4th Place – RAMS

Challengers Cup 1 – NA

The North American Challengers Cup had 865 participants with a heap of well-known talent across the board.

Baby FaZe were the team that finally emerged victorious after a long weekend of matches. Their team consisted of PaulEhx, Zaptius, GRVTY and Venom.

The team only dropped two maps in stage two along their impressive road to victory.

1st Place – BabyFaZe ($2,000)

2nd Place – revengetour ($500)

3rd Place – HYXR

4th Place – Westeros

The second Challengers Cup is set to take place on December 12.

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Call of Duty

Los Angeles Guerillas confirm their 2021 CDL roster

Call of Duty League franchise, Los Angeles Guerillas, have revealed their starting roster and academy team for the new season.

The organisation made the announcement via social media on October 12 with an impressive reveal video.

Guerillas will hope to bounce back after an extremely disappointing season last year which saw them finish dead last in the CDL rankings.

All four starting players have been named alongside an academy team featuring former Halo star, MentaL.

The confirmed starters include Justin “SiLLY” Fargo-Palmer, Bryan “Apathy” Zhelyazkov, Adam “Assault” Garcia and Reece “Vivid” Drost.

Here is a closer look at the starting four players:

Justin “SiLLY” Fargo-Palmer

SiLLY is one of few Call of Duty pros who have competed for around a decade. The 25-year-old found his glory during the Infinite Warfare season under eUnited where he won his first major.

Fast-forward one year and SiLLY took home the CWL Championship with Evil Geniuses. His raw skill, experience and ability to win make him one of the most valuable players on the roster.

It will be interesting to see what he can do this season.

Bryan “Apathy” Zhelyazkov

Apathy is another player who has nearly a decade’s worth experience in competitive CoD. He was alongside SiLLY in their CWL Championship win in 2018.

The veteran will fit in perfectly to this squad that already has so much history and in-game chemistry.

Adam “Assault” Garcia

Assault began his competitive career back in 2013. His big break came in 2016 where he was part of the squad which famously sent home OpTic Gaming from the Call of Duty World Championship.

He then went on to win his first championship ring with SiLLy and Apathy on Evil Geniuses. The three of them reuniting will be great to see in the new season’s matches.

Reece “Vivid” Drost

Vivid is relatively new to competitive Call of Duty. At 20 years old, he is one of the younger players in the league.

Despite not having much success beforehand, Vivid was picked up by LA Guerillas in February 2020. He impressed many last season and broke the record for the most kills in a single 5v5 S&D match at a major championship with 20 kills.

It will be interesting to see how the young-gun performs this season amongst the best.

Players Chino and MentaL are also currently signed as substitutes for the 2021 season with the option to bring up Exceed and Nero if necessary.

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Cellium wins All-Star Pro Skills tournament as CDL 2021 season begins

The conclusion of the All-Star Pro Skills tournament marked the end of the 2020 CDL season and the beginning of a new chapter.

Fans voted for 32 players across all 12 CDL teams to compete in a 1v1 tournament. All games were played on the Gunfight game mode on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.

Each match was a best of three series played in a single elimination format. A whopping $100,000 was up for grabs in the two day tournament and it was all streamed live on the Call of Duty League YouTube channel.

Big names from Chicago Huntsmen’s Seth “Scump” Abner to OpTic Gaming’s Austin “Slasher” Liddicoat all fought it out to claim the huge cash prize.

However, it was young-gun McArthur “Cellium” Jovel who took the crown representing Atlanta FaZe.

The grand final was a Champs rematch between FaZe and Dallas with Cellium facing James “Clayster” Eubanks. Cellium swept the series 2-0 and earned himself $15,000.

CDL 2021 season is underway

September 14 marks the beginning of the second Call of Duty League season. Many exciting changes for the new season have already been made.

Activision recently announced the revert to a 4v4 format which caused widespread upset in the community. This change has led to many players and even entire teams being dropped from their franchises in the biggest rostermania to date.

Now, Activision have revealed even more changes to be put in place this year. An announcement on the CDL website stated: ” Today, the League is announcing it will move pro team competition to PC + Controller beginning with the 2021 season.

“This means that all pro matches will be played on PC and all pro players must use a League-approved controller of their choice.”

This change to PC and controller was an expected change that had been rumoured for some time. Alongside this, CDL Challengers competitors will be able to play cross-platform on online Challengers events. All LAN events, however, will be played on PC.

The CDL have stated that more information regarding changes to the league will be revealed in the coming weeks.

Are you surprised by these changes?

Let us know!

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CDL Rostermania 2020: All confirmed roster changes so far

Rostermania is in full swing as multiple franchises are choosing to release players from their squad. With some entire rosters being dropped, this has become the most interesting rostermania to date.

Players and fans alike were on a high after the Call of Duty League season came to a fitting end. However, it was merely a couple of days before reality kicked in.

The recent announcement of a revert to 4v4 rosters shocked the community. When CDL 2020 champions Dallas Empire dropped Clayster, it marked the beginning of the biggest reshuffling in Call of Duty history.

Franchises have been ruthless in their decision making and more players seem to be getting dropped every day.

From entire CDL rosters to world champions, let’s take a look at all of the official changes that have happened so far.

Clayster and Jurd are the first to go

On September 1, Empire’s Clayster and Royal Ravens’ Jurd were both made free agents.

Clayster, just days before, had won the CDL Championship and the news of his release annoyed not only the fans but of course Clayster himself.

It seems that Clayster’s luck with rosters continues to haunt him as he often draws the short straw. However, with a stock as high as his he should have no trouble finding a new home.

Seattle and Toronto make big moves

Seattle Surge dropped six players from their roster on September 4. Toronto Ultra then followed suit and dropped six of their own. It will be interesting to see who they pick up for next season.

Guerillas and Rokkr release more players

Los Angeles Guerillas released six players on September 6. Minnesota Rokkr then release all seven of their players from the franchise.

This came as a shock to many and made the community question the reasoning behind all of these drastic changes.

Rostermania hits its peak on September 8

A huge total of 24 players were dropped from their franchises on September 8. The exciting announcements kept rolling in but these players were sadly left out of a job.

Here is a full list of all 24 players that were released on Wednesday:

  • Accuracy: New York Subliners
  • Censor: New York Subliners
  • Happy: New York Subliners
  • Thomas ‘Tommey’ Trewren: Dallas Empire
  • Dashy: LA OpTic
  • Goonjar: LA OpTic
  • Chino: LA OpTic
  • Hollow: LA OpTic
  • Arcitys: Chicago Huntsmen
  • Prestinni: Chicago Huntsmen
  • Skrapz: London Royal Ravens
  • Zer0: London Royal Ravens
  • Dylan: London Royal Ravens
  • Rated: London Royal Ravens
  • wuskin: London Royal Ravens
  • Nastie: London Royal Ravens
  • MadCat: London Royal Ravens
  • Denz: Paris Legion
  • Louqa: Paris Legion
  • Shockz: Paris Legion
  • Zed: Paris Legion
  • Breszy: Paris Legion
  • Phantoms: Paris Legion
  • 2Pac_ThuGLorD: Chicago Huntsmen (Analyst)

The free agency window opens on Septmeber 13 so expect some big announcements coming soon.

What are YOUR new roster predictions?

Let us know!

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Call of Duty League announces a shock return to 4v4

Only one day after the first CDL champions were crowned, the league has revealed a huge change for next year. Roster sizes will be changed from five players a team back to the traditional four and it has caused mixed reactions.

The Call of Duty League posted a tweet with the caption “Season 2 Intel”. It begins with the new CoD title ‘Black Ops: Cold War’ and goes on to reveal the new roster sizes for next year.

This information was also shared on the CDL’s website with an explanation on how the change came about.

The league’s comissioner, Johanna Faries, said: “With a new season comes new announcements across many fronts.

“Today we shared that we will be transitioning to starting roster sizes of four players per team for Season 2, marking a kind of ‘return to our roots’. This decision was made in close collaboration with our teams and players, and it was not made lightly. “

Call of Duty professionals and other personalities had a lot to say about the new change.

Now three-time world champion, Clayster, was positive about the change but feels that the changes before the first season began.

Other pros took a slightly less analytical approach and just simply let their excitement out. Seattle Surge’s Slacked has “never been so excited”.

Former pro player, Legal, couldn’t help but “feel bad” for the teams that will have to make the tough decision of dropping a teammate.

This change to 4v4 will see great rosters like champions Dallas Empire, Atlanta FaZe and Chicago Huntsmen all have to split up. Rostermania will be one of the most exciting ones yet heading into the new season.

With all the new free agents that will become available, it is only sensible to believe that the CDL will be expanding next year with potentially more teams.

Despite the season coming to a close, it is not yet finished. The CDL All Star Weekend will take place on 12-13th September.

September 14th will mark the official beginning of the 2021 Call of Duty League season.

What do you think about the change in roster sizes?

Let us know!

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Call of Duty League Championship 2020: Format, schedule & more

The 2020 Call of Duty League season is nearly over. We’ve detailed everything you need to know ahead of the final event of the year.

After a turbulent inaugural season, the Call of Duty League is ready to award its first champions. All 12 teams will compete in playoffs for a chance to play at the Championship Weekend where the winners will be crowned.

Despite the event being played online, all teams will be giving it their all under the fairest circumstances possible.

https://twitter.com/CODLeague/status/1292868312788021248

How to watch Call of Duty League Championship 2020

The much-anticipated finale of the CDL season will begin with playoffs on August 19th. These matches will be played through to August 23rd with the best teams advancing to the Championship Weekend.

All four teams that make it to the Championship Weekend will play on August 29th and 30th.

Matches will be available to watch as usual on the official CDL YouTube channel. All streams are scheduled on the channel so make sure to set reminders for each day of the tournament.

Format & schedule

Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, CoD Champs will be played online for the first time in its history. Teams already have experience of this as the rule was imposed midway through this season.

The CDL points accrued by the teams play a big part in their playoffs advantage. The higher seeded the team is, the less games they will need to win to make it to the finals.

Below you can find the official schedule for CDL Playoffs as well as the full bracket showing each teams starting point.

CDL teams competing

Here is a list of all 12 teams in order of seeding for CDL Playoffs:

– Atlanta FaZe (#1)

– Dallas Empire (#2)

– Florida Mutineers (#3)

– Chicago Huntsmen (#4)

– New York Subliners (#5)

– Toronto Ultra (#6)

– London Royal Ravens (#7)

– OpTic Gaming LA (#8)

– Paris Legion (#9)

– Minnesota Rokkr (#10)

– Seattle Surge (#11)

– LA Guerillas (#12)

Prize pool distribution

The CDL is offering the highest prize pool in Call of Duty history – $4.6 million. Here is how the pot will be shared out between the best teams:

– 1st place ($1.5 million)

– 2nd place ($900k)

– 3rd place ($600k)

– 4th place ($450k)

– 5/6th ($300k)

– 7/8th (175k)

– 9/10th ($100k)

– 11/12th ($0)

As well as the huge sum of cash, players will be competing for the brand new Call of Duty League trophy.

Will you be watching Call of Duty League Championship 2020?

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