The Call of Duty League playoffs are officially moving online, the league confirmed on Sunday morning. Rather than risk the health and wellness of Call of Duty League players, staff, and their families by bringing players together for the 2020 season's playoffs, an online alternative has been chosen. Alongside this decision, the Call of Duty League has confirmed some new technologies and policies being put in place to ensure the competition's competitive integrity.
The next round of the Call of Duty League was originally planned to take place in New York, followed by rounds in London and Toronto. All three rounds are scheduled for July, but will now be played online instead of in-person. The playoffs, which will take place in August but don't have a final date yet, will also be online.
As far as is currently known, the Call of Duty League playoffs will retain the same format from 2019. That being a double-elimination bracket with best of 5 series. The teams in 1st and 2nd get a two-round by, the teams in 3rd and 4th get a one-round by, 5-8th start in Winners Round 1, and 9-12th start in Losers Round 1. The prize pool will consist of $4,600,000 with the winning team taking home $2,000,000.
For the past several months, all Call of Duty League events have taken place online. The last live event was March 7-8 in Los Angeles. One major worry throughout the online events has been the possible use of cheats, specifically the use of the Cronus Mod to reduce recoil. As a result, the Call of Duty League is instating new rules to ensure that players aren't using cheats.
Going forward, every player in the Call of Duty League will now have to use a "universal camera setup" which will be supplied by the league. The camera will be used to keep track of each players' console, controller, and monitor as needed. Once players are given the green light, they'll have to remain seated and on camera. This rule goes into effect for the July 10 event. Additionally, to give teams some control over lag, the Call of Duty League is implementing a veto system that allows them to remove certain servers from being used in their matches.
The last promise made by the Call of Duty League is that they're increasing staff going forward. This should enable the team to handle any issues, whether they be technical or with regards to officiating, as fast as possible. It's not a normal Call of Duty League season, but it'll be the best -- and safest -- that can be managed.