Call of Duty League

Call of Duty League
Game	Call of Duty
Founded	2019
Owner	Activision Blizzard
Commissioner	Johanna Faries
Teams	12
Region	North America (with international players)
Champion	New York Subliners (2023)
Most champs	Atlanta FaZe (1), Dallas Empire (1), Los Angeles Thieves (1), New York Subliners (1)

Call of Duty League. The Call of Duty League is a professional esports league for the first-person shooter video game series Call of Duty. Operated by Activision Blizzard, it represents the highest level of organized competition for the franchise, featuring city-based franchises similar to traditional North American sports leagues. The league launched in 2020, succeeding the open-circuit Call of Duty World League and establishing a permanent partnership model for its participating organizations.

History

The league was officially announced by Activision in 2019 as a transformative step for Call of Duty esports, moving from the open Major League Gaming-influenced model of the Call of Duty World League to a franchised system. This shift mirrored structural changes in other prominent esports leagues like the Overwatch League and the League of Legends Championship Series. The inaugural season commenced in January 2020, though its initial homestand event model was significantly disrupted by the global COVID-19 pandemic, forcing a transition to online competition. Key figures in its establishment included former Activision Blizzard Esports CEO Pete Vlastelica and later commissioner Johanna Faries, who previously worked for the National Football League.

Format and structure

The league follows an annual season format coinciding with the release of the newest Call of Duty title, such as *Modern Warfare*, *Black Ops Cold War*, and *Modern Warfare II*. The competitive season is divided into a series of Major tournaments, preceded by online qualifying matches. The competitive ruleset is governed by the Call of Duty League rules committee, which determines map pools, restricted items, and settings for game modes like Hardpoint, Search and Destroy, and Control. The season culminates in the Call of Duty Championship, a world championship event often held at venues like the Galen Center or Moody Center.

Teams and players

The league consists of twelve permanent franchise teams, each representing a major city and owned by separate esports organizations or investor groups. Notable teams include Atlanta FaZe (owned by FaZe Clan and Atlanta Esports Ventures), OpTic Texas (owned by OpTic Gaming and Hector Rodriguez), and Los Angeles Thieves (owned by 100 Thieves and Matthew Haag). Rosters typically feature four starting players and a substitute, with many prominent professionals like Crimsix, Clayster, Cellium, and aBeZy competing. Team operations are supported by coaches, analysts, and content creators, with organizations like Envy Gaming and Andbox serving as founding partners.

Seasons and champions

Each season is identified by its launch year. The inaugural 2020 season was won by Dallas Empire, who defeated Atlanta FaZe in the finals. The 2021 season champion was Atlanta FaZe, while the 2022 season saw Los Angeles Thieves claim the title. The most recent 2023 season was won by the New York Subliners. These championship victories are considered the pinnacle of a player's career, alongside historic wins at earlier Call of Duty Championship events under the previous World League system. The league also awards seasonal honors like the Most Valuable Player award.

Media and broadcasting

All matches are broadcast live on the Call of Duty League's official channels on YouTube, following a significant exclusive streaming rights deal with Google. Supplemental coverage and analysis are provided by platforms like ESPN and Dexerto. The broadcasts feature a team of casters and analysts, including personalities like Maven, Chance, and Study. This media ecosystem extends to companion content on platforms like Twitter and Twitch, where teams and players engage directly with the community. The league's production is handled by Activision Blizzard Esports' broadcast division.

Impact and reception

The establishment of the league has professionalized Call of Duty competition, creating more stable careers for players and larger, guaranteed investments from organizations. It has been credited with increasing the commercial profile of the esport through partnerships with brands like Mountain Dew and US Air Force. However, the franchise model has also faced criticism regarding its high entry costs, viewership fluctuations compared to the Call of Duty World League era, and competitive balance. Its success is often measured against other franchised leagues like the Overwatch League and its ability to sustain fan engagement across annual game title changes.

Category:Call of Duty Category:Esports leagues Category:Activision Blizzard