The Race for Champs: Who makes the cut

The Race for Champs!

How Many Teams Qualify for the Call of Duty Championships?

Eight of the best CDL (Call of Duty League) teams will compete in the year's most prestigious event. The top five spots for this year's Championships appear to be fairly secure, with the fifth team, Carolina Royal Ravens, holding a significant 210 points and an 80-point lead over the team in eighth place.

Here are the teams we can presume are safe:

1. Atlanta FaZe—340 CDL points (1st seed)

2. Los Angeles Thieves—290 CDL points (2nd seed)

3. Toronto Ultra—230 CDL points (3rd seed)

4. Vancouver Surge—215 CDL points (4th seed)

5. Carolina Royal Ravens—210 CDL points (5th seed)

Now it comes down to the bubble teams, with three teams currently at 130 points and two about 30 points behind. The race for the final three spots could get exciting heading into the last two events of the year, especially since LAN placement might be a deciding factor.

Boston Breach

6th seed Boston Breach 130 CDL points

It's been an up-and-down year for the breach. The team looked really strong heading into the first event of the year, but had a disappointing placing with the team failing to win a game on LAN and finishing 12th. Stage 2 was almost the opposite, with the team looking pretty mediocre online. They went to the Major and upset tournament favorites LA Thieves. Managing to grab themselves a top 6 placing, which would be the best for the franchise in over a year, was seen as a positive step for all involved.

While many teams have made moves around them, Boston has decided to trust the process and believe they have more than enough to make this year's Champs after failing to qualify last season.

Will Boston make Champs?

Answer: Yes.

📸 Photo by @CODLeauge

Miami Heretics

7th Seed Miami Heretics: 130 CDL points

After a disappointing Stage 2, Miami decided it was time for a roster change. They called up a highly rated young superstar, Diego "Super" Escudero, replacing the experienced leader Alejandro "Lucky" López. Before this recent weekend, many expected the Spanish team to miss out on this year's Championships. However, after beating both FaZe and OpTic in one weekend, things are looking promising for them. With the winners' bracket for Major 3 already secured, they have some room for error.

Will Miami Heretics make champs?

Answer: Yes.

OpTic Texas

8th Seed OpTic Texas 130 CDL points

This is not something we expected OpTic to be involved in after winning the big one last year, but it really is a possibility they miss out on Champs this season with constant roster changes and inconsistent players. In reality, this performance should be no surprise.

After bringing "Skyz" and "Huke" into the roster and having an impressive performance in week 1 off stage, 3 things looked to be on the right track, but after this past weekend, it seems it's the same old OpTic of this year. Being the first team ever to lose to the Vegas Falcons is not something the team needed right now. They appeared to be securing a winners' bracket position heading into Major 3, but now they must either achieve a good result against ATL FaZe or hope for favorable outcomes elsewhere. Otherwise, they may face the losers' bracket for the second event in a row, which could jeopardize their place in this year's Champs.

Will OpTic Texas make Champs?

Answer: No.

📸 Photo by @OpTic

Cloud9 New York

9th Seed Cloud9 New York 105 CDL Points

Mediocre best describes Cloud9 New York this season. They can win against lower-ranked teams when on form, but they struggle to compete against top-tier teams. Players like Sib and Kremp have shown they can compete at a high level, but the rest of the team hasn’t been consistent enough to make significant runs at events and secure winners' bracket placements for the Majors. Rumors of trying out new players after Major 2 to replace veteran leader Attach did not materialize, and it seems likely that they will stick with the current roster for the remainder of the season. With a tough Stage 4 qualifier schedule ahead, the chances of making a run for the final Champs spots appear slim.

Will Cloud9 New York make champs?

Answer: No.

Minnesota Rokkr

10th Seed Minnesota Rokkr 100 CDL points

After a disappointing Stage 2, Rokkr decided to make a change, dropping their underperforming AR "PaulEhx." The addition of veteran leader "Kenny" seemed a logical move for this young team. Although they currently have a 1-3 record this stage, all their losses have been game fives, indicating potential. With a few improvements, they could certainly contend in the last two events of the year. The atmosphere around the team seems much more positive compared to the likes of OpTic Texas and Cloud9. If Kenny can keep the young players focused and aligned in SND, they have a real shot at making the Championships for the first time since G2 Esports acquired the team. Their schedule for Stage 4 is also more favorable than that of the other teams mentioned.

Will the Minnesota Rokkr make Champs?

Answer: Yes.

📸 Photo by @syrupfx

LA Guerrillas M8

11th Seed LA GUERRILLAS M8 30 CDL Points

Unfortunately for the French franchise, this season has been disappointing from the very beginning. Even after recent team changes, improvements have been minimal, making it nearly impossible for the team to qualify for Champs.

Will LA Guerrillas make champs?

Answer: No.

Vegas Falcons

12th Seed Vegas Falcons 10 Points

The full Saudi Arabian experiment is over for the Falcons, with the team adding three world champs to the roster alongside exciting Saudi Arabian player Exnid.

While Champs is an impossible task for this team, all eyes will be on the Esports World Cup with the team now being in a much better position. In addition, after getting the first win of the season this past weekend, expectations will be high from the home fans for the World Cup.

Will the Vegas Falcons make Champs?

Answer: No.