The NYSL Major 4 of the 2023 Call of Duty League season was supposed to be taking place in New York. The Subliners will no longer hosting the Major with other teams brought into the picture for hosting Major 4.
The event will not be cancelled, it will instead be moved to a different city. Which city that will be confirmed in due course.
New York’s Major was supposed to happen in Brooklyn, with NYSL fans now left disappointed. The announcement comes immediately after the team’s impressive performance at the first Major of the season in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Subliners came away with the first chip of the season, beating Seattle Surge in the Grand Finals in Raleigh. Their run through the event was fantastic, especially after starting slow in the online qualifiers.
NYSL won the Major 1 tournament in Raleigh. Photo via Ant Stonelake.
Inside sources at NYSL have expressed their disappointment in not being able to host the event in the city. They remain hopeful of hosting events happening in New York in the future.
None of the players were aware that the Major was moving away from New York until during the Raleigh event.
Last season’s New York Major
New York had previously hosted a Major last season. King’s Theatre was one of the most aesthetically pleasing venues in esports.
It provided an incredible backdrop for what turned into one of the best and most eventful tournaments of the season. The New York Major also featured a fairytale run to the Grand Finals by the hometown team, the Subliners.
That run ensured that NYSL managed sneak their way in the eight-team Call of Duty World Championship. It also solidified the event as a historic one, with players fans able to easily recall specific moments from it.
Size limitations
NYSL intended to host the 2023 event at the theatre. Part of the reason for the cancelation of the New York Major is the small size of the theatre.
It didn’t have enough space for a Call of Duty Challengers Open. Those Challengers events have become commonplace in Call of Duty esports.
Last season, New York used the Helix Esports facility in Foxborough, MA, as the venue for the Challengers event. There have been some disagreements between management at NYXL and Oxygen Esports, the two parent organisations of the New York Subliners and Boston Breach.
LAG Academy won the Major 1 Challengers event. 104 teams too part. Image via Ant Stonelake.
NYXL creative director Matt Lucero told esports.gg that New York will be open to hosting events again in the future.
“Last years Major was one for the ages. We love our awesome fans and we can’t wait to connect with more of them at future events.”
This fallout means that the facility would not be available for New York to use for a respective Challengers event as part of NYSL Major 4.
Where will the event be?
There is currently no set replacement venue for the replacement Major 4 tournament but esports.gg sources believe that Florida Mutineers are strongly in the running to host their first CDL event.
Other options that the league would have would include hosting the event themselves. They did a fantastic job with the venue and setting for Major 1 in Raleigh, with the event blowing people away with the scale and festival atmosphere in North Carolina.
There’s also the chance that the League could choose to hose the event in Columbus, Ohio, at the Belong Gaming Arena. That was the venue of last season’s Pro-Am Classic, and one of the easiest options for the league.
Alternatively, the league could give European fans something that they have been begging them for: A Major event in London.
KOI took over Rogue and are now leading London Royal Ravens. Time may be running out for a London event to be applicable for the league.
The last time that London hosted an event was a home series event in 2020. A smaller scale event with only eight of the 12 pro teams taking part. A fully-fledged Major is something that is logistically difficult for the League to host in London.
European fans who spend their weekends staying up until 4 a.m. watching the league should be rewarded at least once.
Stay tuned to Esports.gg for all the latest Call of Duty League news.
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