The Call of Duty League has wrapped up its 2020 season, but it’s coming back next year with some changes. The official CDL Twitter account posted a teaser that seemingly confirms that 4v4 competition is coming to the league next year with the introduction of Black Ops Cold War. The current format is 5 on 5.
As ESPN reminds us, the 4v4 format for professional Call of Duty was the standard until the 2018-2019 season with Black Ops 4 when the team size was increased to five. With competition dropping back to teams of four, this may lead to roster cuts for pro teams.
Former CoD pro Anthony Wheeler said on Twitter that he likes the change but it’s also “scary for the pros” due to the potential cuts.
They made the right call moving it to 4v4. Much better for players and viewers. Scary for the pros though… who’s getting dropped?!
— Anthony Wheeler (@NAMELESS) August 31, 2020
The Dallas Empire defeated the Atlanta FaZe during the finals over the weekend, claiming a $1.5 million prize and bragging rights. More than 330,000 people watched the event, which makes it the most-watched Call of Duty eSports event in history, according to a press release from Activision.
This was the inaugural season of the Call of Duty League under its city-based structure. There are currently 12 teams in the CDL, and according to another story from ESPN, the league is not looking to expand for the upcoming season in terms of teams.
The price to become a CDL team is said to be $25 million USD, which is paid over time. According to the new report, no further teams are being added for the upcoming season not because of a lack of interest, but instead to give team owners more time to promote the league in an effort to get buyers at a “higher sum” later on.
Black Ops Cold War was recently announced. The campaign takes players to 1981 in a story that is a direct sequel to the 2010 original Black Ops. Sam Worthington (Avatar) is not coming back to play Alex Mason, while the role of Frank Woods has also been recast.
The multiplayer reveal for Black Ops Cold War is coming on September 9, so it won’t be much longer until we see how the game plays.
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