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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!

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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.

https://twitter.com/codleague/status/1358868452593827846?s=21

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.

Categories
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

Categories
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!

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