The first Major 2021 event for the Call of Duty League kicked off on Wednesday and ran for five days straight. It was a massive success in terms of viewership, with ratings going up when compared to last year’s. Perhaps more importantly, it also saw Atlanta FaZe take on all comers to walk away with a flawless record.
Atlanta FaZe Remains Undefeated in the CDL 2021
Atlanta FaZe entered the playoffs portion, otherwise known as the Major, of Stage One of the 2021 Call of Duty League without a single blemish in their record loss and nearly came out the winners with just as many losses that they entered with. Despite facing off against some tough opponents such as the Los Angeles Guerillas and the defending CDL 2020 champions, Dallas Empire, Atlanta FaZe proved unstoppable. They went on to sweep both opponents to secure their slot in the Grand Finals, where Dallas Empire took another crack at them after beating the New York Subliners in the Losers Finals. Squaring off in a best-of-nine series, Atlanta FaZe continued their hot streak, quickly winning the first three maps. Although they’d dropped at least two maps throughout the course of the series, they were simply too strong and too consistent for Dallas Empire. As a result, they took the win after a resounding 2-0 victory. With the win, Atlanta FaZe are now the first-ever Major winners of Call of Duty League 2021 and will go home with 75 CDL points, as well as $200,000 in prize money. Meanwhile, the Dallas Empire, the runner-ups, will take home 60 CDL points and $120,000. Atlanta FaZe will have a chance to defend their title and extend their winning streak in a couple of weeks Stage Two is set to begin on March 18.
What Is The Call of Duty League?
The Call of Duty League is the successor of the Call of Duty World League. It was formally announced in 2029 and kicked off in 2020. The said league serves as the official professional esports league for Call of Duty. It is owned by Activision and follows the same structure as that of the Overwatch League, which is also owned by Activision. It uses city-based teams backed by individual ownership groups in a tournament point system that leads to a playoffs format. Players who make it into any one of the league’s team rosters receive an annual salary (with a set minimum), benefits, as well as a portion of their tournament winnings. Players also get to share in part of the revenue based on how the team is performing. Rules and restrictions are different in the Call of Duty League compared to standard play. For example, LMGs and Tactical Rifles are restricted in the CDL. It also supports only a limited number of maps and game modes. It’s essentially the highest level of play in Call of Duty and only the best of the best can make it there.
