The inaugural Call of Duty League (CDL) took place in 2020, and seemed to be a success for Activision Blizzard in spite of complications due to the coronavirus pandemic. This season's esports competition is set to take place in the newly-released Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, with CDL officials confirming a change to 4v4 matches as all players are required to use a PC and controller. Now, the League has released its foundational ruleset for 2021's maps, modes, settings, and restrictions.
While the initial settings are subject to change, according to the official Competitive Settings V1.0 page posted to CDL's website, the current rules were reportedly made by League Administrators in conjunction with players and coaches. Three Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War game modes will be included, with three-to-five maps each: Hardpoint (using Cartel, Checkmate, Crossroads, Garrison, and Moscow); Search & Destroy (using Checkmate, Crossroads, Garrison, Miami, and Moscow); and Control (using Checkmate, Garrison, and Moscow).
The settings required for each mode vary in terms of details such as win conditions, spawn timing, player health, what kind of damage can be inflicted, and more. All participants are subject to a number of restrictions when planning their strategies. For example, three Light Machine Guns and two Shotguns; lethal tools like C4 and field upgrades like Proximity Mines; as well as Black Ops Cold War Scorestreaks including Spy Planes and Sentry Turrets cannot be used.
Registration for the first two Call of Duty Challengers Cups in the 2021 season, which take place between December 5 and 13, will open on November 23, according to a CDL schedule page. It will be interesting to see how the League plays out this year, as the aforementioned pandemic has pushed all matches online. At the same time, Activision Blizzard is letting CDL and Overwatch League teams defer franchise fees due to the lack of live events.
Given the apparent financial success of the esports competition in 2020, being able to defer those fees should help keep teams afloat through the upcoming season. According to reports following the Call of Duty League 2020 championships in August, the winning Dallas Empire alone made over $3 million over the course of the season.
Beyond the technical challenges of running a competitive league during a pandemic, it should also be interesting to see whether the shift to Treyarch and Raven Software's Black Ops Cold War results in any major shake-ups following a season on Infinity Ward's Modern Warfare. The game has a unique roster of weapons and mechanics, with many Black Ops Cold War guns still subject to buffs and nerfs given the title is in its infancy.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
Sources: Competitive Settings V1.0, CDL Challengers