Call of Duty is the best selling FPS (First-Person Shooter), and second best selling video game franchise in history. Having 21 game releases since 2003, and generating over $30 Billion as of 2022, it is the gold-standard video game franchise for military-based shooters.
The Format
The Call of Duty League (CDL) is a city-based, franchised, 12-team league. Each team consists of four players and play each other in a variety of maps and modes during the season. Weekly online matches run Friday through Sunday, with anywhere from 9-12 matches over the course of three days. There are 5 in-person Major events during the season leading up to the World Championship. Each match is a Best-of-5 with three modes being played in rotation.
The modes that are played in pro play: Hardpoint (Rd. 1 and Rd. 4), Search and Destroy (Rd. 2 and Rd. 5), and Control (Rd. 3). Our contests will allow you to pick the winner of each match for the whole weekend, similar to our weekly NFL, NCAAF and NBA contests.
The Picks
The Call of Duty League has wrapped up its first Major of the season and Atlanta FaZe came out victorious over Los Angeles Thieves in what some around the community call the Match of the Year. A little early for that in my book, considering there’s 3 more majors and Champs to go… Team rankings in both the article and contest are reflective of how the teams finished at the Major. If they finished in the same tier (i.e. 9th-12th) then they’re ranked based on how they came into the event. Here’s my picks for this weekend’s matches.
2/14 – (2) Los Angeles Thieves vs (4) Carolina Royal Ravens
The Thieves came up one round short at Major 1 of taking the whole thing. They looked like the team that was touted at the beginning of the season. Meanwhile, Carolina has been reeling as of late. Even though they took Top 4 in the Major, their gameplay hasn’t looked quite the same. I think LA will be out for blood after their Grand Finals loss and could easily see this one going 3-0 to the Thieves
Pick – Los Angeles Thieves
2/15 – (1) Atlanta FaZe vs (7) OpTic Texas
OpTic had arguably the most disappointing showing at the Major. Coming into the event as the 1 seed, they lost in the first round before winning one series and falling in the next for a 7th place finish. A roster move then followed, with Pred coming back to replace Huke, which was the initial swap after the first week of the season. All that is fine and dandy, but FaZe looks insane right now. They’re dominating anyone who isn’t the LA Thieves. I like OpTic in any other matchup besides this one. FaZe look too strong at this moment.
Pick – Atlanta FaZe
2/16 – (10) Vancouver Surge vs (8) Cloud9 New York
Vancouver was another team that had a disappointing Major. They went into it hot, winning their last 3 matches, and then fell flat on their collective faces. Cloud9 on the other hand has been getting stronger as the season goes on. They had, for their standard so far this season, a good Major finishing 8th. This is a toss up for me. I would like to see a roster move for Vancouver, bringing in Huke who was recently dropped from OpTic and was with this team last season, but until that happens i’ll be sticking with NY on this one.
Pick – Cloud9 New York
