Call of Duty League receiving franchise interest in Las Vegas & EU
ActivisionActivision’s Call of Duty League has reportedly received interest for new franchise spots across multiple markets including Las Vegas, D.C., Charlotte, and even undisclosed cities in Europe.
When the CDL kicked off in 2020 with its inaugural season, it did so with 12 teams. A majority of those teams were based in North America with a few outliers such as Paris Legion, the London Royal Ravens.
Despite no immediate plans to expand in 2021, the league has received a great deal of interest from prospective new markets, CDL Commissioner Johanna Faries told the Sports Business Journal.
Among the new areas looking to get involved are Las Vegas, D.C. and Charlotte, according to The Esports Observer. Beyond these NA markets, however, the league is also “hearing interest from across the pond in Europe and beyond,” Faries said.
ActivisionWhile the CDL is only just entering the 2021 season, plans already appear to be in motion for major expansion in the years ahead. There’s no guarantee the specific locations mentioned will come to fruition, though they’re eyed as the frontrunners at this point in time.
Three new NA orgs would bring the total to 15, with the potential for further additions from Europe to boot. Faries also didn’t rule out the idea of entirely new areas joining — opening up the door for speculation of a team from the Asian or Australian markets.
Joining the league is no small feat, however. For additional regions to get involved, they’re looking at a minimum of $25 million for a team slot, let alone player and staff salaries on top. Moreover, reports suggest that Activision will be looking for an even larger sum from expansion teams.
If Activision follows suit with a similar rate of expansion to its Overwatch League, we could see plenty more teams than initially expected. The OWL launched in 2018 with just 12 teams as well, but just one year later and eight new organizations were locked in.
Overwatch LeagueWith the swap to 4v4 for the Black Ops Cold War cycle, there’s no shortage of talent ready to pick up for any future additions to the league.
CDL expansion could still be a ways off, though 2022 seems to be a safe bet for some fresh blood. Meanwhile, the league is roaring back into action in a matter of days. The CDL Kickoff Classic is set to go live with our first 2021 matchups on January 23.
