Call of Duty League announce 2021 season format: tournaments & majors

The Call of Duty League has officially announced its structure for the upcoming 2021 season, months after the 2020 CDL Champs concluded. This season includes the return of majors, with all 12 teams having a chance to compete for league points, prize pools, and glory.

Fans have been dying to know about the future of the Call of Duty League ever since the inaugural CDL Champs concluded with a Dallas Empire victory in August 2020. In the months since, the league has reshaped greatly, with player movement and organizational shifting, but details about actual structure remained under wraps.

Now, just in time for the holiday season, those wraps have been lifted as the CDL gifts its fans a return to classic CoD tournament structure with 2021’s format.

While the league didn’t get to expand past 12 teams for its second season (like sister league, the Overwatch League, was able to in theirs), fans have still gotten to enjoy a ton of change in the offseason. With the shift to 4 vs 4 already cemented, teams have pivoted rosters and shifted gears. And, with the announcement of upcoming format, fans get to find out how their teams will be competing in the upcoming season.

The oncoming CDL season will include five majors throughout the year, each featuring all 12 teams. To determine seeding for these high-stakes events, the league will also enjoy separate Home Series events that act as group play for the bigger brackets. While these Home Series tournaments haven’t yet been detailed, the return of majors indicates a full trip down the nostalgia lane for CoD fans who miss the days of full-league competitions.

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Further, placement in the Home Series group play tournaments and majors helps teams earn CDL Points, which will ultimately impact placement in the 2021 CDL Champs playoffs. So a lot is on the line when it comes to performance at the next level.

The new season comes with a new game, Black Ops Cold War, as well as a return to 4 vs 4 and some iconic CoD franchises finally fitting back into the scene. OpTic Gaming shifted back to Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez’s ownership, so the Chicago Huntsmen and OpTic Gaming Los Angeles franchises are no more. Instead, they’ve been replaced by OpTic Chicago and the Los Angeles Thieves, for Matthew ‘Nadeshot’ Haag’s 100 Thieves return to CoD in 2021.

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In the coming weeks, more news is expected to be announced for scheduling dates and the status of online play in the upcoming year.