The Call of Duty League has been picking up steam as it makes its way through its second season. Initial ratings for the first week of CDL matches were up over the previous year, as Call of Duty's large player base likely drew in some new viewers to the esports league. The first Major event of the year for the Call of Duty League started on Wednesday, and after an intense 5 days of competition, Atlanta FaZe emerged on top.
The League is likely happy to be using Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War for its matches, as the fast-paced arcade-style action of the game makes it great for the high intensity of pro level play. The maps in Cold War lend themselves to Call of Duty's classic multiplayer modes, with three lane maps that have good flow for coordinating team movements.
Working their way through a tough bracket, and into a finals match against Dallas Empire, Atlanta FaZe took charge of the Grand Finals, getting out to an early 3-0 lead in the best of 9, closing out with an easy 5-2 win. In the Best of 9, the game mode shifted between Hardpoint, Search & Destroy, and Control, with FaZe taking all three S&D contests in the finals, a clear strength for the team. FaZe also doesn't seem to be fazed by any of the Black Ops Cold War maps thrown at them, as they do well in nearly any scenario.
Atlanta FaZe will earn 75 CDL points for the win along with $200,000 split between the four team members, aBeZy, Arcitys, Cellium, and SimpXO as well as their coach, Crowder. Dallas takes home $120,000 for its second place finish, as well as 60 CDL points. After a little uncertainty caused by the winter storms in Texas a few weeks back, the CDL is back on track after a successful first Major of the season.
The Call of Duty League plays with some rules and restrictions that place it outside most of the discussion regarding meta weapons. The Black Ops Cold War Season 2 weapon tier list has a number of great guns in the meta, but with LMGs and Tactical Rifles restricted from use in the CDL, even though the M16 is top tier for Cold War, it can't be used in competitive play. The League also limits the maps that can be used for game modes, with only Checkmate, Garrison, and Raid available across all three.
The Call of Duty League season is still young, and while FaZe are likely celebrating this big win, there is plenty of action left, and the teams are still closely bunched together in the season standings. Plenty can change between now and the end, but for now, a $200,000 paycheck seems pretty good.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.