The Chicago Huntsmen are scheduled to host the Call of Duty League stop this weekend. Instead, they will spend the rest of week 6 fighting their way out of a big hole in the first round. During the last game on Friday, CDL-leading Huntsmen appeared to be nearing a slot against the New York Subliners, with the fewest points in the league going into the day. Instead, New York took the first two cards before warding off Chicago’s reverse sweep bid with a win over the decisive fifth card.
The CDL was inactive for a little over a month after it was turned off due to the March 12 coronavirus pandemic. All remaining host families were canceled and the rest of the schedule had to be completed strictly online. The game resumed two weeks ago with the Dallas “home stand.” On Friday, Chicago fell 250-135 to Gun Runner Hardpoint and 6-5 to St. Petrograd Search and Destroy, but then won 156-150 with Gun Runner Domination and 250-228 with Hackney Yard Hardpoint. But New York took Rammaza Search and Destroy 6-3 to win the match.
The Subliners then face the Atlanta FaZe in the second round of the winners of group A. Atlanta worked quickly on the London Royal Ravens and won 250-234 at Azhir Cave Hardpoint, 6-5 at Arklov Peak Search and Destroy and 166 -149 on Hackney Yard Domination. In Group B, the Seattle Surge swept the Los Angeles Guerrillas – 250-248 on Rammaza Hardpoint, 6-3 on Arklov Peak Search and Destroy, and 172-132 on Gun Runner Domination – to set up second place for winners – round matchup with the Dallas Empire.
Dallas provided the other Los Angeles franchise, OpTic Gaming, and won the last two cards after the teams split the first two. Dallas won 250-175 over Gun Runner Hardpoint to open the game, but the OpTic responded with a 6-1 victory over Arklov Peak Search and Destroy. Dallas replied with a 155-150 win over Hackney Yard Domination and put the game away with a 250-208 win over Hackney Yard Hardpoint. Seattle and Dallas will face each other in the first of six games on Saturday. New York and Atlanta will play next, followed by the Los Angeles Group B loser bracket game in all Los Angeles, then Chicago vs. London in the loser bracket match of Group A.
The last two games of the day are the last field for the play-off of four teams from Sunday. Week 6 marked the start of new CDL procedures regarding the servers using online matches. After criticizing game lag and allegations that the system was biased against teams unable to use servers in their area, the CDL increased the server total from five to nine across the United States.
In addition, both teams were given the same three servers to test before each game. Each team then submitted a blind veto from one server. If the vetos were different, the remaining server would be used as a match. If the vetos were the same, the CDL’s operations team would determine which of the other two servers would be used. Prize pool week 6:
1. $ 50,000.50 CDL points 2. $ 30,000.30 CDL points
3-4. $ 10,000.20 CDL points 5-6. no prize money, 10 points
7-8. no prize money, no points Call of Duty League standings through week 5:
1. Chicago Huntsmen, 110 points T2. Minnesota R0kkr, 100 points
T2. Dallas Empire, 100 points T2. Florida Mutineers, 100 points
5. Atlanta FaZe, 90 points 6. Paris Legion, 60 points
7. London Royal Ravens, 40 points T8. OpTic Gaming Los Angeles, 20 points
T8. Toronto Ultra, 20 points T8. Seattle Surge, 20 points
T10. New York Subliners, 10 points T10. Los Angeles Guerrillas, 10 points