CDL Toronto Challengers final placements: NA shakeup ahead of Champs
Zia Syed (Unsplash) / Call of Duty LeagueAs the top Call of Duty teams around the world look to peak in time for the biggest event of the year, standings were shaken up during the Toronto Open Challengers tournament.
The current competitive cycle is nearing its end as Modern Warfare’s time in the spotlight is coming to a close. With new leaks spilling out, an imminent announcement for the next release seems likely. With just one major event left for the current title, amateur teams have been pushing harder than ever before.
Over 200 teams competed across three major regions in the last Open Challengers event of the year. Prize money was the same as always with $7,500 up for grabs for North America, $6,000 for Europe, and $1,500 for APAC. However, Pro Points were more valuable than ever as teams battled for better seeding in the 2020 Championship event.
Certain teams continued their dominant reign while other regions saw stunning upsets. Just two weeks out from the $500,000 Championship tournament, here’s how the final Open event of the year played out.
CDC Toronto Open NA placements
ActivisionThe North American leg of the competition saw many familiar names pushing through to the final rounds. The final bracket was as stacked as ever, including former winners UYU and Atlanta FaZe Academy, though one surprising team was able to stand out from the pack.
Five Star Creations, a new org, topped the FaZe lineup in the Grand Final series to claim the Toronto Open. Their roster features CoD veterans Christopher ‘Parasite’ Duarte and Jevon ‘Goonjar’ Gooljar-Lim.
“Been consistent all year placing in the Top 4,” Parasite said after the win. “This feels so satisfying. Gotta make sure we keep grinding and focus up for Champs.”
The Top 8 placements for the final NA Open can be seen below:
| Place | Prize Money | Team |
| 1 | $ 10,500 | Five Star |
| 2 | $ 7,500 | AF Academy |
| 3 | $ 5,000 | UYU |
| 4 | $ 2,500 | Carnage Gaming |
| 5-6 | – | Sixth Gear |
| Built By Gamers | ||
| 7-8 | – | Triumph |
| InControl Gaming |
CDC Toronto Open EU placements
Katy Eyre/ESPAT MediaWhile 123 teams competed in the European portion of the tournament, it was a familiar roster that came through with the win once again. Team WaR collected its ninth overall event win of the year, though they faced some tough competition this time around.
They were knocked into the lower bracket early and had to regain composure. WaR then won three critical games in a row to bounce back and land a spot in the Grand Finals. In one of their most difficult challenges yet, they had to win not one, but two bo5 matches against TrainHard Esport.
It was a fierce matchup but ultimately Team WaR reigned supreme once again. This could be a sign of things to come in the Championship tournament, though the competition is certainly looking tighter than ever before.
| Place | Prize Money | Team |
| 1 | $ 3,500 | Team WaR |
| 2 | $ 1,500 | TrainHard Esport |
| 3 | $ 1,000 | Team Singularity |
| 4 | – | Connect 5 |
| 5-6 | – | The Bedroom |
| Team BDS | ||
| 7-8 | – | The Atlas Lions |
| Doug Censor Martin v8 |
Completing their sweep of an entire region, Renegades won the final APAC Challengers Open of the year. The roster has now gone undefeated throughout the entire Modern Warfare cycle with no signs of slowing down.
The 2020 Call of Duty Challengers Championship begins on August 15. The top 32 NA and EU teams will be battling it out for $250,000 and $200,000 respectively. Meanwhile, APAC will be limited to just 16 teams with $50,000 up for grabs. Stay tuned for results as the final amateur event of the Modern Warfare cycle kicks off soon.
