Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 to feature World League Hub, League Play Events, Clans and more

Shortly after the reveal for the 2019 CWL Season, Treyarch have announced a new in game area which will be dedicated to esports, called the World League Hub, plus more details on League Play in Black Ops 4.

Treyarch outlined their ambition to make Black Ops 4 their “deepest and most competitive game to date”, and said that they have thought about competitive play throughout the development process.

The acknowledge that the spectator aspect of competitive is almost as significant as the playing aspect, which is why they say Black Ops 4 is “built with the goal of making the game as fun to watch as it is to play.”

World League Hub

To help attract more spectators – particularly from the casual Call of Duty playerbase, which has had an obvious disconnect with competitive play for many years – the new World League Hub will be introduced.

“Introducing the World League Hub, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4’s in-game home for all things esports and competitive play. Players can come to the World League Hub to play like the pros in Treyarch’s Pro Series competitive playlist format, watch Call of Duty World League streamed events, and learn about the latest happenings in the CWL.”

Players will be able to see CWL news and livestreams in this dedicated hub, as well as watch VOD’s from previous events.

League Play

Pro Series

The new Pro Series will be Black Ops 4’s equivalent to WWII’s ranked play, but Treyarch are taking it to the next level.

The Pro Series playlists will use official competitive rulesets, maps and modes. The matchmaking will be based on teams and players with similar skill levels, but details on how this is determined is not given.

League Play Events

There will also be opportunities to win “in-game prizes and recognition” in weekend events lasting three days. 

“Players will be assigned to a League Play Ladder after their first game in League Play. Players may compete as a team in Team Ladders, or as a solo competitor against other solo competitors in a Solo Ladder. Events will use the Pro Series settings and format, and players will earn BO4 Ladder Points for wins (or lose points for losses). Earn the most Ladder Points by the end of the event to take 1st Place.”

The events will take place either every weekend or every other weekend, in an effort to “maximize the intensity” and make each match victory more significant.

Gauntlet Events

The Gauntlet will use the same League Play structure, but your will have to reach a certain number of wins before hitting a certain number of losses: “Each loss counts as a strike, and players who accumulate too many strikes will have to start the Gauntlet over.”

If you complete the Gauntlet, you will be rewarded with in-game items, and is “designed to be a more accessible and digestible” competitive playlist.

Clans and Teams

The Clans feature is making its return to Call of Duty for the first time since Modern Warfare 3, in Black Ops 4. This is where you can manage your competitive team, which can be up to seven players. 

“Clans support up to 100 players, and players within Clans may become a member of up to three teams, allowing even more flexibility to play together. Teams have a name, emblem, and their own home page in the Clan Headquarters to easily gather and play together.”

The Clans feature is not exclusive to competitive and League Play however, as it can also be used for regular multiplayer and Zombies.

Source: Treyarch