Tag: CDL

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Call of Duty

LA Thieves and Atlanta FaZe steal the show at Opening Weekend 2021

The Call of Duty League’s Opening Weekend 2021 marked the beginning of the 2021 season. LA Thieves and Atlanta FaZe are now top of groups A and B after finishing the weekend unbeaten.

Image: Breaking Point

There were plenty of highlights, from upsets to impressive plays, that made it a weekend to remember. Current champions Dallas Empire suffered an unexpected defeat to Minnesota Rokkr whilst Atlanta FaZe took down a menacing OpTic Chicago.

The second weekend is right around the corner where we will get a better idea of what teams are ahead of the pack.

https://twitter.com/CODLeague/status/1361405167581675522

LA Thieves top Group A

Nadeshot’s LA Thieves faced Minnesota Rokkr in their first match of the weekend. They started the series off hot but Rokkr bounced back to level the series at 1-1.

https://twitter.com/CODLeague/status/1359971008325779456

Thieves then took over the series and closed it out 3-1, starting their CDL campaign on a high. They then met Clayster and the New York Subliners on Saturday in what was expected to be an exciting match-up.

The series really had it all with flashy plays being made left, right, and centre. In map one, Thieves’ Kenny found three Subliners players in his line of sight when the scores were tied. He cleaned up all three which turned the odds in LA’s favour as they won the map.

https://twitter.com/CODLeague/status/1360759061944360966
Kenny with the triple!

Search and Destroy often provides the best highlights and that was true of the second map. Kenny pulled off the first 1v3 of the season to win the round. Subliners rookie, Diamondcon, then completed a 1v2 of his own in a thrilling map that was won by Thieves.

Another one!
Not a bad way to start for a rookie

LA closed out the series 3-0 which placed them at the top of Group A.

Atlanta FaZe fight off OpTic

FaZe made light work of the Guerillas in their first match, but the one that had everyone talking was the match of the weekend versus OpTic Chicago.

Chicago were slight favourites heading into the series following Atlanta’s defeat to the Mutineers in the Kickoff Classic.

OpTic was in the driving seat after map one as they closed out the Hardpoint 250-225.

https://twitter.com/CODLeague/status/1361115744176644101
OpTic had the opening map in the battle of the titans

However, Atlanta bounced back with a vengeance and levelled the series with a 6-0 victory in the Search and Destroy. In what was a back and forth series, OpTic won a tightly-contested third map to go 2-1 up but FaZe forced the map five after aBeZy ran rampant in the second Hardpoint.

https://twitter.com/CODLeague/status/1361129793186578437
ooo baby a triple

Atlanta’s aBeZy took over the fifth map and guided his team to an enthralling series victory that topped off a great weekend of matches.

What was your favourite moment from the Opening Weekend 2021?

Let us know!

Follow Dartfrog for all the latest Call of Duty news and analysis on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, 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:

https://twitter.com/CODLeague/status/1353542758313517057

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:

https://twitter.com/CODLeague/status/1353749724021415937

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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Featured Image: Call of Duty League

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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:

https://twitter.com/CODLeague/status/1349431206257979392

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!

Follow Dartfrog for all the latest Call of Duty news and analysis onour Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitch.

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Call of Duty General

Seven Call of Duty pros make the Top Ten Esports Players of 2020

The Top 10 Esports Players of 2020 have been listed by The Esports Observer with seven of them being Call of Duty professionals.

An impressive amount of Call of Duty League players made the cut this year. Additionally, two Call of Duty teams, Dallas Empire and Atlanta FaZe, made it on The Top 10 Esports Teams of 2020.

These lists are ranked entirely by prize winnings from all competitions and are not voted for.

Whilst the usual top ten is often flooded with Dota 2 players, this year’s list looks a little bit different as there was no Dota 2 The International Championship due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Top 10 Esports Players of 2020

If 2020 couldn’t get any stranger, the highest earning esports player was a chess professional, Sven Magnus Carlsen.

Many believe that chess should not be considered an esport, however, the board game took Twitch by storm as all competition moved online during the summer.

The rise of chess is clearly no laughing matter as Carlsen took home nearly $500,000 this year and many players have even been signed to esports teams such as Team Solo Mid.

Numbers two to six consist of Call of Duty League players: Clayster, Crimsix, iLLeY, Shotzzy and Huke – the former Dallas Empire roster.

With Dallas Empire crowned champions of the inaugural 2020 Call of Duty League season, it is no shock to see their roster on this list.

As there have been multiple Warzone events and other independent tournaments throughout the year, not all of their prize money totals are even. Clayster takes the top spot as the highest earning Call of Duty pro of 2020 with $373,330.

In seventh place is Magic: The Gathering world champion PVDDR who took home $300,000 this year. The old card game has quickly become a popular esport in recent years.

With another chess player in eighth place, two more Call of Duty pros finish off the list in ninth and tenth. Cellium and Simp both competed under Atlanta FaZe last year who came second in the CDL Championship.

Whilst the pandemic remains an ongoing issue, we may well see another peculiar list of players in next year’s top ten.

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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

Temp completes LA Thieves’ CDL 2021 starting roster

The LA Thieves’ starting roster for the 2021 Call of Duty League season has been confirmed with Temp completing the line-up.

After much speculation, LA Thieves officially joined the CDL at the start of November. Being a fan favourite, the 100 Thieves organisation have been warmly welcomed back into the scene.

Since the announcement there have been multiple rumours circulating regarding their potential roster.

It has now been officially announced and it consists of TJHaly, Kenny, Slasher and Temp. CoD veteran JKap also joins the squad as a coach with Muddawg returning as a general manager.

We take a look at the roster in more detail and see what this newly-formed team can bring to the table this season.

Thomas “TJHaly” Haly

TJHaly is a young star who has a lot of experience in the scene for his age. He found the most success under Rise Nation during the World War 2 season where he took first place at four majors.

Coming off a sub-par season with OpTic Gaming last year, TJ will look to show his talents once again with this brand-new roster. He has proven that he has what it takes to win on the big stage and will be a valuable asset to the LA Thieves this season.

Kenny “Kenny” Williams

Kenny began his competitive career in 2015 but made his mark with Team Kailber in 2017. He was part of the 100 Thieves organisation in Black Ops 4 and his return is no surprise.

The 21-year-old played alongside TJHaly under OpTic Gaming last year and the pair will undoubtedly cause trouble for the other CDL teams. Kenny will be one to watch in the 2021 season.

Austin “Slasher” Liddicoat

Slasher is the veteran of the team who will no doubt be calling the shots this season. He is widely-known as one of the best AR players in the world and is a great addition to any team.

Slasher also played under 100 Thieves in Black Ops 4 where he showed unbelievable dominance all season long. His gameplay speaks for itself and he is a pivotal member of this new squad.

Donovan “Temp” Laroda

Temp is the final addition to the squad and arguably the most exciting. He hasn’t found much success during his career but he has performed on every team he has been on.

The Subliners performed poorly last year and Temp will surely be looking to redeem himself on this impressive new team. It will be interesting to see how he fits in and how the team get on this year.

What do you think of the new roster?

Let us know!

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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

LA Thieves officially join the Call of Duty League

After weeks of speculation the Los Angeles Thieves have joined the CDL for the 2021 season.

The franchise is owned by Nadeshot’s organisation, 100 Thieves, and will compete against the 11 other CDL franchises.

Rumours of 100 Thieves’ return to Call of Duty began circulating after it was reported that the organisation had acquired OpTic’s CDL spot.

The rumours have now been confirmed meaning that we will see fan favourites 100 Thieves back in competitive CoD once again.

However, this time the squad will be officially named Los Angeles Thieves making them the second LA-based franchise alongside LA Guerillas.

https://twitter.com/LAThieves/status/1324758533108215808

The Los Angeles roster will include: Austin “Slasher” Liddicoat, Kenny “Kuavo” Williams, Thomas “TJHaly” Haly and Zack “Drazah” Jordan.

This was the original roster that would have competed under OpTic Gaming LA before they were bought out by Nadeshot and 100 Thieves.

100 Thieves entered competitive CoD in 2016 during the Black Ops 3 season. Their stay was short-lived however as they then left and did not return until the 2018/19 Black Ops 4 season.

The team performed very well in Black Ops 4 and gained a huge following whilst doing so.

They won both CWL Anaheim and CWL London as well as coming second in the CWL Championship 2019.

Fans were extremely disappointed that 100 Thieves were not participating in the Call of Duty League introduced last year.

Despite opting out of purchasing a spot last year, Nadeshot felt that now was the right time to enter the league.

Hector “H3CZ” Rodriguez, who was rumoured to have bought OpTic Gaming back, is thought to have sold the franchise to good friend Nadeshot.

Eric “Muddawg” Sanders will retain his position of General Manager under the LA Thieves. He exceled in this role during 100 Thieves impressive season in 2018/19.

Are you happy to see the 100 Thieves brand back in Call of Duty?

Let us know!

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Call of Duty

London Royal Ravens announce roster ahead of CDL 2021 season

With the CDL season right around the corner, London Royal Ravens become the next team to announce their four-man roster.

The roster contains some familiar faces, including the coaching staff. Dylan, Zer0 and Seany have made a return to the all-British squad whilst Alexx joined on a transfer from Minnesota Rokkr.

Dominate, Ravens’ head coach, has returned to his former role on the team. Shane has also joined the team once again but this time will take the role of assistant head coach.

To the surprise of many, twin brothers Skrapz and Wuskin were left out of the squad this year despite having a huge presence in the roster last year.

With the four-man squad confirmed and locked in, let’s take a closer look at the new Ravens.

Sean “Seany” O’Connor

The Scottish phenom, Seany, has been a top player in the UK scene over the past five years. He seems to fit in to any team that he finds himself on and his talent always shines through.

Despite not having any major wins, Seany can undoubtedly compete among the best and it will only be a matter of time before he secures a chip.

Trei “Zer0” Morris

Like Seany, Zer0 has been competing in the scene for the past five years. His most notable performances being under Splyce and Red Reserve where he found some success.

Zer0 performed well last year under the Ravens but he will surely look to improve and bring one home for the Brits.

Thomas “Dylan” Henderson

https://twitter.com/DylanCOD_/status/1321850591308558337

Dylan has “got a lot to prove” after no success last year on the London franchise. He is one of the most talented players in the scene and is well-known for his outrageous plays.

He has only recently made his mark at the top of the pile after joining Reciprocity in 2019. However, his short time in the limelight has gained him a large following and respect due to his rare talent on the sticks.

It will be interesting to see how he performs with new addition and former teammate Alexx this year.

Alex “Alexx” Carpenter

Alexx, like Dylan, has only been around the professional scene in the last two to three years. However, he has proven why so many teams are keen to snap him up with consistent impressive performances.

Dylan, Seany and Alexx all reunite after parting ways from Reciprocity last year. The squad will be eager to prove people wrong and win some trophies for the UK fans.

What are your thoughts on the London Royal Ravens roster?

Let us know!

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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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