Call of Duty League News Tracker
Stay up-to-date on the latest news surrounding the Call of Duty League. All of the roster changes, match updates, player news, and CoD game updates. We will update this as news comes in.
Snoopy replaces Vivid in Boston Breach starting lineup
June 3, 2023
Shortly after Major 5, Boston made another surprising roster change. They decided to drop Vivid, who they dropped earlier in the year for Kremp. Boston Breach Academy standout, Snoopy, will take his place as the second SMG alongside Kremp. There were rumblings about Censor joining the team from fans and other popular streamers, which were quickly debunked after this move was announced. Adding a new player after several other roster changes throughout the year isn't ideal for Boston, but the way Snoopy has played in Challengers, it could prove to be a positive move.
Vegas Legion eliminated from Mar 5; Champs hopes are dead
May 27, 2023
The Vegas Legion take the loss to the New York Subliners in our first match of the day, meaning they are out of Champs contention, and their season is over. For Seattle Surge, they get the news they were hoping for, as they lock in their spot at Champs as the No.8 seed. With their season on the line, Vegas had a hard time putting together consistent kills, losing out on rotations, and throwing away opportunities. With the talent of Temp, TJHaly, Clayster, and Standy, it's unfortunate we won't get to see them make their run at Champs.
Vegas Legion keep their Champs hopes alive
May 26, 2023
It was simple—lose and you're out of champs, win, and you stay alive. For the Seattle Surge, all they had to do was win this match to clinch their spot. After a 3-0 loss to Atlanta FaZe yesterday, Vegas came out firing in a must-win situation. They dominated Seattle from start to finish, making things difficult in each round by rotating quickly, getting on the flank, and winning the majority of their gunfights. Vegas isn't in the clear yet. They still need to place Top-4 to qualify for Champs. If they can't do that, Seattle will punch their ticket.
London Royal Ravens send Boston Breach home packing
May 26, 2023
Upsets continue to be the storyline, as teams that are qualified for Champs start to fall to less superior teams. The latest team subject to a heartbreaking loss was the Boston Breach, who were dominated by the London Royal Ravens, who have yet to win a game at a Major this year. The match started off on Fortress Hardpoint, and thanks to Asim, who pieced together 4 kills at the end, securing the victory for London by holding the third rotation to P1. They went back to Fortress for SnD, and London started their dominance, getting out to an early lead, but allowed Boston to climb back. London held them off long enough to get the victory 6-3, but it wasn't as close as the score says. The round of Hotel Control was closely fought by both teams, but Owakening came alive this round, piecing London all over the map. Boston kept their hopes alive for the time being, but that wouldn't last long. On the way to Embassy Hardpoint, Boston feel flat, allowing London to win the rotations and break into hills far too easily. London close out the round, winning 250-155, securing the upset and sending Boston home.
CDL has discussed moving away from city-based structure
May 26, 2023
In a recent Tweet from The Rotation, Toronto Ultra interim CEO Adam Adamou said that there have been discussions about moving away from a city-based structure. He said that he's a fan of having a fanbase that comes when teams are based in the city, but said, "My son is a basketball fan, but he doesn't follow the Raptors."
We will have a story on this once we get more information.
MINNESOTA RØkkr Secure Spot in Champs
May 25, 2023
The RØkkr took on their rival, Boston Breach, in a grudge match and a fight for a spot in Champs. Boston clinched their spot earlier today with Vegas' loss to FaZe, meaning that Minnesota needed to secure the win to ensure a spot to compete in the Postseason. The match was tight throughout, starting with Embassy Hardpoint, where both teams were flying around the map. Each player was slaying throughout the round, with Minnesota coming out on top, 250-193. In Mercado SnD, Boston took a dominant lead early, putting Minnesota in a hole that looked impossible to climb out of. They brought it back but couldn't close it out and took the loss, 4-6. Asilo Control has been a bread-and-butter map for Minnesota throughout the year, but it has also been a strong map for Kremp and Boston. They put Minnesota on the brink with a 1-3 win in the round. The Fortress Hardpoint map went down to the wire, and if Boston could have held the last two hills better, they likely walk away with a win. But Minnesota was able to break the hills and get the win, 250-230. It all comes down to Hotel SnD. Who's going to move on in the Winners Bracket to take on the Florida Mutineers, and who's headed to the Losers Bracket to face the London Royal Ravens? It went to round 11, with Minnesota clutching up the final round, securing their spot in Champs and moving on in the Winners Bracket.
Florida Mutineers Shock OpTic Texas Winning 3-0
May 25, 2023
This was supposed to be the other way around. OpTic was supposed to dominate this match, but Florida came out swinging early. They played OpTic on their best map, Fortress Hardpoint, and took it to them early, winning the round convincingly, 250-134. They beat up OpTic on Mercado SnD, winning 6-2 and made it look like a walk in the park. Expo Control was a much closer battle, but with Florida getting the defense in the final round, it was all but over for OpTic. Neither of the teams could find a win on their attacking rounds, with both teams finding the spawn traps and not letting one another find the A zone. Getting second place in the last two Majors was disappointing for OpTic, but losing in the first round after going 5-0 in Qualifiers for the second-straight Major has to be disheartening. OpTic will have to fight their way through the Losers Bracket after losing to a team that won't be at Champs.
Karma Rumored to be new OpTic Texas Coach
May 25, 2023
Rumors have been swirling for the past couple of months that Damon "Karma" Barlow would be taking over as the OpTic Texas Head Coach. The talks began around the time Major 3 was going on, and recently, Karma joined HECZ on The Eavesdrop Podcast to have a live discussion about the possibility of this happening. "I would be a massive fan of that happening," HECZ said about Karma being the OpTic Head Coach. "I've definitely thought about it a lot. I've seriously been considering it," Karma said. In the latest VOD posted by OpTic Texas, Karma was spotted behind the team during scrims, which sparked the conversation again today. He also joined the team on stage during their walkout for their first match of Major 5 against the Florida Mutineers. It has yet to be announced, but it appears Karma is now the Head Coach for OpTic Texas.
*We will update this story once more information comes out.
Boston Breach Qualify for Champs with the FaZe win over Vegas
May 25, 2023
With the Vegas Legion losing to Atlanta FaZe earlier today, the Boston Breach officially qualifies for a spot at CDL Champs. They are currently tied with Seattle Surge at 190 CDL points but have the tiebreaker over them. There still could be shifting in seeds depending on how Seattle and the Minnesota Røkkr throughout Major 5. Boston will take on Minnesota later today, with Seattle challenging Vegas in the Losers Bracket for their next match. With either Seattle or Vegas losing tomorrow, Boston gets the automatic clinch.
Vegas Legion's Champs Hopes Looking Gloomy
May 25, 2023
For the second time in a row, the Vegas Legion made the Winners Bracket. Coming into the day, they were 20 points away from the No.8 seed to make CDL Champs. Every game for them is vital to them making it to the Postseason. Unfortunately for them, they draw one of the best teams in the CDL, the Atlanta FaZe. The match started off rough for them, going down 100 points on Embassy Hardpoint. They brought it back to a respectable score, but it wasn't enough, as FaZe beat them 179-250. The rest of the match didn't go their way, losing 1-6 on Asilo SnD and 1-3 on Asilo Control. They move to the Loser's Bracket and their Champs hopes are looking grim.
Minnesota Røkkr brings back Attach, Afro Benched
May 16, 2023
With the final weekend of the Call of Duty League Stage 5 Qualifiers coming up, the Minnesota Røkkr make a surprising roster move, bringing Dillon "Attach" Price back to the starting lineup and sending Marcus "Afro" Reid to the bench. With Attach being the Main AR before getting benched, a role change is also needed after Kevin "Fame" Bonanno took that spot in the last roster move. Being mainly a Sub in Challengers, he could move to the 2nd Sub, with Ben "Bance" Bance moving to the Main Sub, putting Attach back at Main AR, leaving Cameron "Cammy" McKilligan in the Flex role.
New York Subliners Clinch CDL Champs with Vegas Legion Loss
May 12, 2023
Even though the New York Subliners didn't play today, they were able to clinch their spot in the Call of Duty League Champs bracket, with the Vegas Legion losing to Atlanta FaZe. They were a lock in our preview of what teams will be the next to clinch a spot in Champs. While their seeding is far from locked in, the next two weeks will be crucial if they want to out-seed two of the best teams in the CDL. The final weekend of the regular season will keep things interesting and exciting for players and fans, with Champs just around the corner.
London Royal Ravens Eliminated from Champs
May 12, 2023
During the Qualifiers in the final Major of the Call of Duty League, the London Royal Ravens get bounced from a spot at Champs by the Los Angeles Guerrillas on the second weekend of Stage 5. London put themselves in a tough spot to make Champs from subpar performances throughout the year and lacked the ability to close out tight games.
Boston Breach bring back Vivid. Nero to the Bench
April 25, 2023
Major 4 of the Call of Duty League didn't go exactly as Boston Breach hoped. They squeaked into the 6th seed after Qualifiers before quickly getting bounced to the Losers Bracket in the first round by OpTic Texas. A loss shortly after that to the Toronto Ultra spelled the end of the tournament for them. Boston announced Tuesday, April 25, that they were moving Dylan "Nero" Koch to the bench and bringing back Reece "Vivid" Drost to the starting roster after being replaced by Kyle "Kremp" Haworth on April 4.
Los Angeles Thieves win Major 4
April 23, 2023
It all started by swimming around Hydro. They are two of the worst teams when it comes to rotations but also two of the best at holding points. It was a tightly contested match, but the Thieves take the close fight, 250-200. On Hotel SnD, Drazah specifically has been dominant. But OpTic steals this one, 6-3. After a tough round, the Thieves regained and took Expo Control, 3-1. Playing OpTic in Fortress Hardpoint is never ideal. Ghosty took over the round with 29 kills, leading OpTic to a 250-138 round win. Back to SnD we go, with the Thieves looking dominant. They win 6-4 and are a game away from being crowned Champs. The Thieves dominated Asilo Control, winning a close round, 3-2. The Los Angeles Thieves are your Call of Duty League Major 4 Champions, with Sam "Octane" Larew winning MVP.
Pred sets Season Kill Record
After losing to Atlanta FaZe in the Winners Bracket and being sent to the Losers Bracket to face the Los Angeles Guerrillas, Pred gave us the performance of the year. He was popping off the entire round, keeping Seattle in Control for most of the match. The Guerrillas brought it to game five, allowing Pred to continue slaying. He ended the match with 119 kills, setting the 2023 Call of Duty League record in kills for an entire match, breaking the previous record held by OpTic Texas Brandon "Dashy" Otell (115).
How to Watch the Call of Duty League?
Viewers can watch the 2023 Call of Duty League through the Call of Duty Twitch and YouTube channels. If you are watching on Twitch, be sure to link your Activision and Twitch accounts to receive Twitch Drops during eligible events. The CDL will take place every Friday-Sunday over the course of four weeks.
Zack is the Publishing Manager for Esports Illustrated. He grew up playing videos as a kid, mainly sports games and the Call of Duty series. Before his work at Esports Illustrated, Zack published content for the NFL Draft for various sites since 2017, including partner sites on FanNation and has appeared on various shows across the country and videos across the FanNation group. Outside of work, Zack enjoys spending time with his wife and three children. He loves playing football and video games with his son, taking his two daughters to get their favorite treats, and binge-watching shows with his wife. Zack began covering Esports at the end of 2022, mainly covering the Call of Duty League.