CDL Major 2: A Clashing of Titans

The Call of Duty League is back in full swing after Major 1, and with some hefty updates to the official CDL ruleset, our second round of qualifiers has set the field for another exciting round of LAN action. A quick look at the standings feels like walking into a hall of mirrors, with juggernauts of seasons past staring back at us from every direction. The four leading teams are powerhouse franchises who continue to define themselves as the biggest players of the modern era. 

The gap between these four elite squads is minuscule, so it should be a photo finish when the League drops into Miami for its second major tournament of the year. It's a battle of giants against hometown heroes, perennial underdogs, and scrappy young competitors desperate for their first taste of victory.

Familiar Faces All Around

Toronto Ultra decimated the competition at Major 1. They were the unanimous number one team in the world, and while Major 2 qualifiers exposed a major Search & Destroy weakness for them across the board, they’re still a force to be feared on LAN. Bolstered by an unmatched Hardpoint record, this team knows how to steamroll the opposition and expects to do it on every map. Jamie “Insight” Craven is their ace. His game sense elevates Ultra in every way. Not only is he always in the right place at the right time, but no player matches his clutch factor. Ultra also leads the way in terms of effective communication. Their mid-map listen-ins are textbook, and when the comms are flowing, the game opens up in a new way. 

Victory may not come as easy as it did the first time, but they’ve got a sleeping S&D giant in Dylan “Envoy” Hannon, and if the noise of a live crowd wakes him up, it’s hard to vote against The North. However, they’re certainly not alone at the top. 

Atlanta FaZe is no stranger to winning in the CDL. They’ve claimed an event win in three of the last four seasons, peaking with a dominant World Championship run in Black Ops Cold War. This core has competed in every Major 2 Grand Final since Black Ops Cold War and, surprise, they’re ready to do it again. An impressive 5-1 series count in online qualifiers signals their online woes could be over, and they’re as good as any team in the world on LAN. Control is their money mode, but Major 2 qualifiers also saw them find a new groove in Hardpoint and Search & Destroy. You can’t take anything for granted in the Call of Duty League, but a rematch with Ultra will be on the minds of the players and the fans. 

It’s all about execution, no matter who FaZe plays. As discussed in our exclusive interview with Chris “Simp” Lehr and Head Coach James Crowder, small details make all the difference for a squad composed of four former World Champions. They have no problem finding first blood in S&D thanks to the incisive play of Tyler “aBeZy” Pharris, but capitalizing on the numbers game will be huge for a team who gave up six different man-advantage rounds in Grand Finals of the last event alone. 

Looking South, OpTic Texas is also within striking distance of their first trophy since the Vanguard season. A Hardpoint dream team, the Greenwall is thriving under the leadership of Kenneth “Kenny” Williams. Every aspect of their game is surgical, and if their Search & Destroy continues to improve, we may very well be watching the beginning of a landslide. 

Outside noise roared around this team at the start of the Major 2 qualifiers, as fans and analysts put Anthony “Shotzzy” Cuevas-Castro’s position as a Superstar under the microscope after every match. His response? Set three new CDL records en route to a perfect 7-0 mark in the online qualifier. A first-round matchup against Heretics might seem lopsided on paper, but OpTic has famously tripped over their own feet in matchups against the old Mutineers in the past, and while that branding may be gone, the Florida curse might remain. 

Rounding out the Top 4 is our reigning World Champion New York Subliners. A dreadful run at Major 1 stunned the NY faithful, but it may have only been a blip on the radar. Their Major 2 qualifier run appears to have righted the ship, and if superstar SMG Paco "HyDra" Rusiewiez is back to his Modern Warfare 2 form, the rest of the league should be shaking in their boots. This team has repeat champion potential, but if they’re going to do it, things need to start lining up right now. 

The loss of a fifth Major from the CDL schedule means disastrous starts are all the more punishing. They'll have to avoid another first-round stumble to give themselves some breathing room, but if they find their feet, this team should be knocking down doors in no time. 

The Hopefuls

Four other scrappy teams will join our powerhouses in the Winners Bracket of Major 2, but they will all have their work cut out for them if they want to stay alive. Leading the next wave is the Las Vegas Legion. 

Legion’s captain, Dillon “Attach” Price, is Mr. Consistent. Only a slim handful of players in Call of Duty history match his success or longevity, and even fewer have found more success as the underdog. His old Minnesota RØKKR squad made CoD history when they reverse-swept Toronto Ultra in the Grand Finals of Cold War’s Major V. As legendary as that performance was, it may take an even more herculean effort this time. They’re against Ultra in the first-round this time, and Toronto is looking stronger than ever. 

The Los Angeles Thieves have similar prospects. Despite rebounding well after an early season roster shuffle, a long and arduous climb awaits them. Starting their Winners Bracket run against FaZe is brutal, and even if they win, the path doesn’t get any easier ahead. If they’re going to find success, it will have to start with a return to form for Marcus “Afro” Reid. He has played undeniably well in Search & Destroy, but has yet to live up to his monstrous potential in the respawn modes. 

Elsewhere, the Boston Breach may be fighting for their season already. A post-Major roster change has improved this squad tremendously, but they have yet to break through against the elite, and kicking off the major against a hot NYSL team is a tough task. However, if Call of Duty history has taught us anything, you can’t count out Austin “SlasheR” Liddicoat. Arguably the best in-game leader ever, he has rallied underdog teams to championship trophies before, and there’s no doubt he wants to do it again. Breach’s SMGs have struggled all year, though. If CDL veteran Obaid “Asim” Asim and young gun Eric "Snoopy" Pérez aren’t playing at their very best, then dark clouds will be hanging over their heads for the final two Majors of the Modern Warfare 3 season. 

Finally, there’s our host for the event. The Miami Heretics squeaked into the Winners Bracket with just two qualifying wins, and now they’ll get their chance to play the biggest game of their season in front of a home crowd. Good news for the Miami faithful: this squad has one 3-0 over OpTic Texas this season. Bad news for the Miami faithful: OpTic responded in kind during Round 1 of the last Major. It won’t be easy, but this team knows how to play with pace, and are scary when they find momentum. If their preparation is right, if they’ve once again found holes in OpTic’s strategy, Heretics could jump start an improbable run on home turf. 

As for the other teams in the competition, nothing is impossible in this league. The Carolina Royal Ravens showed flashes of brilliance back in Major 1, and the Minnesota RØKKR finished Top 4 at the event as well. Who knows if a run like that is in store for the Los Angeles Guerrillas or Seattle Surge this time? They’ll have to be resilient if it’s going to happen. Starting in the Lower Bracket means they cannot afford even a small slip in composure. 

Major 2 will set the stage for the rest of the year no matter who wins, and while CDL Championship Weekend might seem far away now, its faint outlines are emerging through the mist. A team that’s coasting comfortably right now could crash and burn before its shadow truly starts to loom. Likewise, a squad that’s been caught in a traffic jam of mediocrity could pick up pace just in time. 

In the end, it's the actions on the server that decide everything. Be sure to check out the official YouTube livestreams when the event kicks off in Miami on March 21st.