It happened in December during Major I and it happened again this weekend. In a sweep of the lower bracket, the New York Subliners defeated all comers to be branded the Major V champions, making NYSL the first team to win more than one Major in a single year since Atlanta FaZe during the Cold War season. It absolutely was not the way that everyone thought this Major would play out, but the script truly was flipped on its head this time around.
OpTic Texas, the only team in CDL history to have two perfect qualifying stages back-to-back fell in ninth place, with reigning champions, the LA Thieves, ending up in fifth place. When it came down to it, the final stages were owned by Toronto Ultra, the New York Subliners, Atlanta FaZe, and bizarrely, Minnesota Rokkr. It was the best performance out of Rokkr all season, considering a while ago the team was recovering from an eight-match losing streak.
What a phenomenal weekend for Call of Duty esports.
It’s Never What You Expect
It says something when the London Royal Ravens, the worst team in the Call of Duty League, finish higher than OpTic Texas, Boston Breach, and Seattle Surge. That’s what happened during Major V, the tournament that nobody could have really predicted. In a mind-blowing sweep, the New York Subliners cemented their legendary status this season by locking in their second Major win of the year, having won Major I way back in December 2022.
It was a display worthy of the history books, with HyDra, KiSMET, Skyz, and Priestahhh all putting in immense work to pull off back-to-back wins. While HyDra and KiSMET destroyed the board, there are no special commendations to be earned – this was a masterclass in full-team representation, and every player in the squad pull their weight during Major V. Well, by ‘no commendations’ – we should clear up that HyDra was the MVP of the Major.
Following an instant dismissal into the lower bracket by Toronto Ultra, the Subliners locked in and said, ‘Not today, buddy’.
In a string of successes, NYSL laid waste to (and eliminated from the tournament):
Los Angeles Guerrillas
Las Vegas Legion
Florida Mutineers
Toronto Ultra
Minnesota Rokkr
And finally, Atlanta FaZe
It was a flashback to December 2022, when the Subliners did the same thing against:
Las Vegas Legion
Toronto Ultra
Atlanta FaZe
Seattle Surge
The Breakdown
It was a phenomenal story all around for the Subliners, but elsewhere, things weren’t so positive. For example, OpTic Texas, considered the favourite to win Major V, crashed out of the tournament without winning a single map. First, the Florida Mutineers (who may never be seen again in the CDL) wiped out Texas, followed by a devastating match-up against the LA Thieves that ejected OpTic Texas from the tournament.
LAG and Seattle Surge effectively left the competition without a single map won, too. They were ejected from the lower bracket without any contest. It was also believed to be the last time we’ll see LAG in the CDL, given the circumstances with the team’s parent organisation.
And Now, To Champs
Between the 15th and the 18th of June, the Call of Duty League Championship will take place, and the stage is already set.
Here are the eight teams (and their opening matches) for the CDL Champs stage:
Atlanta FaZe vs. Seattle Surge
Toronto Ultra vs. LA Thieves
OpTic Texas vs. Boston Breach
New York Subliners vs. Minnesota Rokkr
There isn’t one match-up there that’s easily predictable, but here’s how we’re thinking it’ll end up:
1st – OpTic Texas
2nd – Atlanta FaZe
3rd – Toronto Ultra
4th – New York Subliners
5th – LA Thieves
6th – Minnesota Rokkr
7th – Seattle Surge
8th – Boston Breach
Let’s see how it unfolds – it’s the best time of the season if you’re a Call of Duty esports betting fan!
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