The Call of Duty League is back, and teams are gearing up for Major II with the support of the Miami Heretics. This will be the organization’s first branded Major in the CDL, but the Spanish squad has encountered a rough start. In the opening weekend of the Major II Qualifiers, the Miami Heretics suffered losses against Atlanta FaZe and Toronto Ultra, securing just one map win out of seven. While facing the toughest teams in the League, it’s been a rocky start for the Heretics, potentially setting the tone for the Major.
Elsewhere, the opening weekend marked a return to form for the New York Subliners, narrowly avoiding an embarrassment at the hands of Carolina (currently second-from-bottom in the table) in a close 3-2 finish after defeating Seattle Surge.
In the midst of this, the Call of Duty League is dealing with ongoing disruption caused by Activision Blizzard. The League is still reeling from recent layoffs, and a lawsuit from OpTic Gaming could potentially destabilize the ecosystem. OpTic’s H3CZ and Scump have alleged that Activision Blizzard has held an unlawful monopoly over the COD esports scene since the foundation of the CDL and are seeking $680 million in damages for the organizations in the League.
The qualifying stage for Major II played out as expected, drawing in less-than-usual viewership on YouTube, a cause for concern. Typically, the qualifying stages don’t secure much traction, and the big numbers are reserved exclusively for the Major and Championship stages of the League.
Looking ahead, the schedule for the qualifying stage isn’t promising any highly-anticipated matches, except for a Sunday night showdown between Atlanta FaZe and the New York Subliners. The Miami Heretics will have a chance to redeem themselves against the LA Thieves and Vegas Legion, but outside of that, we can expect a relatively quiet period for the CDL unless major drama kicks off again.
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