With the inaugural season of the Call of Duty League out of the way, and some major changes coming for the league’s second season in 2021, we take a look at all the roster moves that are occurring across the league.
It’s no secret that there was a pretty big disparity between the best and worst teams in the CDL’s opening season. Teams like Dallas Empire and Atlanta FaZe were constantly seeing success, while others, such as Seattle Surge and Los Angeles Guerrillas, will need to make big changes going forward.
Significantly, CDL is moving back to the 4v4 format, guaranteeing at least one change from each team at a minimum. This means a huge roster shuffle involving every team is inbound. Here’s everything you need to know about the CDL 2020 offseason and free agency window, as well as every major team change that occurs during Rostermania.
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CDL 2021 team rosters
Going into the CDL 2021 season, this is how each team’s starting roster currently looks. It’s worth noting that some teams still have five players on their starting roster, but these numbers will reduce with the change to 4v4.
Players in bold are confirmed to be part of that team’s 2021 roster
Team | Starters | Substitute(s) | Coach(es) | |||
Dallas Empire | Crimsix | Shotzzy | Huke | iLLeY | FeLo | Rambo |
Atlanta FaZe | Simp | aBeZy | Cellium | Arcitys | Sibilants | Crowder, RJ, Easy Mac |
OpTic Chicago | Scump | FormaL | Envoy | Dashy | General | Sender |
Florida Mutineers | Skyz | Neptune | Owakening | Slacked | Havok | Atura |
New York Subliners | Mack | Clayster | Asim | Diamondcon | HyDra | Revan |
London Royal Ravens | Seany | Alexx | Dylan | Zer0 | Dominate, Afro | ShAnE |
Toronto Ultra | Bance | Methodz | Cammy | CleanX | Insight | MarkyB |
Minnesota RØKKR | Priestahh | Attach | Accuracy | MajorManiak | – | Saintt |
Los Angeles Thieves | Slasher | Kenny | TJHaly | Temp | Drazah | JKap |
Paris Legion | Skrapz | Classic | Aqua | Fire | – | Theory |
Seattle Surge | Octane | Gunless | Loony | Prestinni | – | Nubzy |
Los Angeles Guerrillas | Vivid | Assault | SiLLY | Apathy | MentaL, Chino | Bevils, Ricky, Doug Liebe |
Confirmed roster changes
Barely 48 hours after the conclusion of the CDL 2020 season, players started sharing their new status as free agents. Here’s everything that’s been officially announced so far.
F/A = Free Agent. F/A (r) = Restricted Free Agent
January 26
- Spart: F/A → New York Subliners Academy
January 22
- Asim: F/A → New York Subliners
- Afro: F/A → London Royal Ravens (sub)
January 21
- Diamondcon: Subliners Academy → New York Subliners
January 19
- ZooMaa: New York Subliners → Retired
- FeLo: F/A → Dallas Empire (substitute)
January 10
- Neptune: F/A → Florida Mutineers (sub)
December 31
- Skrapz: F/A → Paris Legion
- Classic: F/A → Paris Legion
- Fire: F/A → Paris Legion
- Aqua: F/A → Paris Legion
December 11
- Temp: F/A → LA Thieves
December 7
- Slacked: F/A → Florida Mutineers
November 11
- Chicago Huntsmen rebranded as OpTic Chicago
- Scump: Chicago Huntsmen → OpTic Chicago
- FormaL: Chicago Huntsmen → OpTic Chicago
- Envoy: Chicago Huntsmen → OpTic Chicago
- Dashy: Chicago Huntsmen → OpTic Chicago
November 6
- OpTic Gaming LA rebranded as LA Thieves
- Kuavo: OpTic Gaming LA → LA Thieves
- SlasheR: OpTic Gaming LA → LA Thieves
- TJHaLy: OpTic Gaming LA → LA Thieves
- Drazah: OpTic Gaming LA → LA Thieves (sub)
- Muddawg: OpTic Gaming LA → LA Thieves (general manager)
- Sibilants: Atlanta FaZe Academy → Atlanta FaZe (sub)
October 29
- Alexx: F/A → London Royal Ravens
- Zer0: F/A → London Royal Ravens (Re-signed)
- Dylan: F/A → London Royal Ravens (Re-signed)
October 22
- JurNii: Atlanta FaZe (sub) → F/A
October 17
- Insight: Singularity → Toronto Ultra (sub)
October 16
- Tisch: Dallas Empire (sub) → F/A
October 13
- Assault: F/A → LA Guerrillas
- Vivid: F/A → LA Guerrillas
- SiLLY: F/A → LA Guerrillas
- Apathy: F/A → LA Guerrillas
- MentaL: Gears of War → LA Guerrillas (sub)
- Chino: F/A → LA Guerrillas (sub)
- Exceed: F/A → LA Guerrillas (academy)
- Nero: F/A → LA Guerrillas (academy)
October 9
- Hydra: F/A → New York Subliners
October 7
- GRVTY: Atlanta FaZe (sub) → F/A
October 2
- Frosty: F/A → Returned to Halo
September 23
- Gunless: F/A → Seattle Surge
- Prestinni: F/A → Seattle Surge
- Loony: F/A → Seattle Surge
September 18
- Clayster: F/A → New York Subliners
September 15
- Arcitys: F/A → Atlanta FaZe
- Priestahh: Atlanta FaZe → Minnesota ROKKR
- MajorManiak: Atlanta FaZe → Minnesota ROKKR
- Attach: New York Subliners → Minnesota ROKKR
- Accuracy: F/A → Minnesota ROKKR
September 14
- Dashy: F/A → Chicago Huntsmen
September 9
- Frosty: Florida Mutineers → F/A
- Maux: Florida Mutineers → F/A
September 8
- Accuracy: New York Subliners → F/A
- Censor: New York Subliners → F/A
- Happy: New York Subliners → F/A
- Tommey Dallas Empire → F/A
- Dashy: LA OpTic → F/A
- Goonjar: LA OpTic → F/A
- Chino: LA OpTic → F/A
- Hollow: LA OpTic → F/A
- Arcitys: Chicago Huntsmen → F/A
- Prestinni: Chicago Huntsmen → F/A
- Skrapz: London Royal Ravens → F/A
- Zer0: London Royal Ravens → F/A
- Dylan: London Royal Ravens → F/A
- Rated: London Royal Ravens → F/A
- wuskin: London Royal Ravens → F/A
- Nastie: London Royal Ravens → F/A
- MadCat: London Royal Ravens → F/A
- Denz: Paris Legion → F/A
- Louqa: Paris Legion → F/A
- Shockz: Paris Legion → F/A
- Zed: Paris Legion → F/A
- Breszy: Paris Legion → F/A
- Phantoms: Paris Legion → F/A
- 2Pac_ThuGLorD: Chicago Huntsmen (Analyst) → F/A
September 7
- Alexx: Minnesota ROKKR → F/A
- Asim: Minnesota ROKKR → F/A
- Exceed: Minnesota ROKKR → F/A
- Assault: Minnesota ROKKR → F/A
- SiLLY: Minnesota ROKKR → F/A
- GodRx: Minnesota ROKKR → F/A
- TTinyy: Minnesota ROKKR → F/A
- KiSMET: Paris Legion → F/A
September 6
- Blazt: Los Angeles Guerrillas → F/A
- Decemate: Los Angeles Guerrillas → F/A
- Spart: Los Angeles Guerrillas → F/A
- Aqua: Los Angeles Guerrillas → F/A
- Saints: Los Angeles Guerrillas → F/A
- Gunless: Chicago Huntsmen → F/A
September 4
- Brack: Toronto Ultra → F/A
- Classic: Toronto Ultra → F/A
- Loony: Toronto Ultra → F/A (r)
- Lucky: Toronto Ultra → F/A (r)
- Mayhem: Toronto Ultra → F/A (r)
- MettalZ: Toronto Ultra → F/A
- Wuskin: London Royal Ravens → F/A (r)
- Temp: New York Subliners → F/A (r)
- Apathy: Seattle Surge → F/A
- Pandur: Seattle Surge → F/A (r)
- Proto: Seattle Surge → F/A (r)
- Enable: Seattle Surge → F/A
- Slacked: Seattle Surge → F/A
- TeddyRecKs: Seattle Surge → F/A (r)
- Joshh (coach): Paris Legion → F/A
September 2
- JKap: OpTic Gaming Los Angeles → Retirement
September 1
- Clayster: Dallas Empire → F/A (r)
- Jurd: London Royal Ravens → F/A
Changes by team
Here are all the CDL changes so far, broken down by each team’s offseason transactions:
Atlanta FaZe
- Arrived: Arcitys, Sibilants (from FaZe Academy team)
- Departed: Priestahh, MajorManiak, GRVTY, JurNii
Dallas Empire
- Arrived: FeLo (sub)
- Departed: Clayster, Tommey, Tisch
Florida Mutineers
- Arrived: Slacked, Neptune
- Departed: Maux, Frosty, Fero
London Royal Ravens
- Arrived: Alexx, Dominate, Afro
- Departed: Skrapz, Wuskin, Rated, Nastiee, MadCat
Los Angeles Guerrillas
- Arrived: Apathy, SiLLY, Assault, MentaL, Chino
- Departed: ACHES, Saints, Lacefield, Blazt, Decemate, Spart, AquA
Los Angeles Thieves (formerly OpTic Gaming LA)
- Arrived: SlasheR, TJHaLy, Kenny, Temp, Drazah
- Departed: Dashy, Hollow, Chino, Goonjar, JKap
Minnesota ROKKR
- Arrived: Attach, MajorManiak, Accuracy, Priestahh
- Departed: Asim, Exceed, TTinyy, Alexx, Assault, GodRx, SiLLY
New York Subliners
- Arrived: Clayster, HyDra, Asim, DiamondCon
- Departed: Attach, Accuracy, ZooMaa
OpTic Chicago (formerly Chicago Huntsmen)
- Arrived: Dashy
- Departed: Arcitys, Prestinni, Gunless
Paris Legion
- Arrived: Skrapz, Aqua, Classic, Fire
- Departed: Breszy, Denz, Louqa, Phantomz, Shockz, Zed, KiSMET
Seattle Surge
- Arrived: Gunless, Prestinni, Loony
- Departed: Apathy, Enable, Slacked, Proto, Pandur, Karma
Toronto Ultra
- Arrived: Insight
- Departed: Brack, Classic, Loony, Lucky, Mayhem, MettalZ
New 4v4 format
For the first time in two years, Call of Duty esports will be returning to a 4v4 format, essentially meaning that one player from each team has already been or will be dropped.
This could mean a major shake-up of some of our favorite rosters, with underperforming players having to start shopping around for options to stay in the Call of Duty League.
While many fans and players have preferred 4v4 in the past, the loss of roster spots has made some players start to worry about their own prospects going forward, and this does mean we’re guaranteed to see some big names swapping jerseys by the time the Black Ops Cold War season kicks off.
Free Agency and transfer window
The CDL’s free agency window officially opened on September 13, which is when teams began to signing players to new contracts and even make announcements on who they’re acquiring for the forthcoming season.
According to the CDL’s official roster construction rules, at 11.59 PM PT on September 13, any player whose contract hasn’t been extended with their current team officially becomes a free agent, but teams can officially file for contract extensions by September 6 at 11.59 PM PT.
As the rules state, no agreement can be made between a player and a team they did not represent in CDL 2020 prior to 12:00 AM PT on September 14, though discussions may obviously take place in the lead-up to that date.