2025 marked the fifth edition of the Call of Duty League (CDL), Activision’s geo-located franchise competition that continues to attract some of the biggest names in the North American and European esports ecosystems.
The return of online qualification matches during the regular season generated multiple upsets, with several underdogs managing to spring surprise results against superior opposition.
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While powerhouse rosters asserted early dominance, one iconic franchise was on the back foot, as the arrival of new recruits failed to steady the ship.
From lengthy periods of success to miraculous comebacks, the Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 season was packed with action, laying the foundations for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, hoping to continue building momentum.
The 2025 CDL Championship became the most-watched event of the franchised era, smashing previous viewership records set across the past five years. Esports Insider takes a closer look at a record-breaking year for Call of Duty’s esports scene.
Early Atlanta FaZe Dominance
Fresh from lifting the 2024 Esports World Cup trophy on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Atlanta FaZe stumbled during the opening week of online qualifiers for Major 1, following consecutive defeats to Toronto Ultra and the Los Angeles Thieves.
The first online Minor of 2025 was a turning point for the franchise as it carved its way through the single-elimination bracket to the Grand Final, where the Carolina Royal Ravens awaited. A 3-1 win against the Royal Ravens, along with 30 CDL Points, was enough for Atlanta FaZe to secure a place in the upper bracket of the season’s opening LAN.
For the first time in eight years, Call of Duty esports returned to continental Europe as the CDL headed to Madrid for the first LAN of Black Ops 6. Entering as the sixth seed, Atlanta FaZe kicked off the Major with dominant 3-0 sweeps over Boston Breach and Toronto, setting up a clash with the Los Angeles Thieves in the upper bracket final.
The best-of-five series went the distance, with Atlanta FaZe continuing its winning streak, taking the series 3-2 to book a spot in the Grand Final. The Thieves, on the other hand, overcame the hometown heroes of Miami Heretics in the lower bracket final, earning a rematch against Atlanta FaZe in the Grand Final.
In one of the closest Call of Duty esports matches in history, Atlanta FaZe bested Los Angeles Thieves in a thrilling best-of-seven series. A 6-5 win on Skyline Search and Destroy sealed a 4-3 series victory, earning FaZe its first Black Ops 6 Major trophy.
Atlanta FaZe carried its momentum into the Major 2 qualifiers, building on its Major 1 victory to secure the second seed for the year’s second LAN in Allen, Texas. Comfortable wins over Minnesota Rokkr and Cloud9 New York in the opening upper bracket rounds saw the franchise in a prime position to reach back-to-back Grand Finals.
Vancouver Surge gave the team a run for its money in a hard-fought five-game series, but Atlanta FaZe’s experience proved the difference, winning the series 3-2 to earn another Grand Final appearance. Vancouver Surge battled back through the lower bracket for another chance to dethrone Atlanta FaZe from the peak of the Call of Duty esports mountain.
The rematch of the upper bracket final was a one-sided affair, with Atlanta FaZe sweeping aside Vancouver Surge 4-0 to win its second Major title of 2025.
Second-Half Success For Los Angeles Thieves
Having come close to victory at Major 1 and earning a top-four finish at Major 2, the foundations were set for Los Angeles Thieves to have a strong second half of Black Ops 6 season. The franchise topped the online qualifiers with a 4-1 record, securing the top seed for the third LAN of the year in Boca Raton, Florida.
Dominant 3-0 sweeps over the Carolina Royal Ravens and Miami Heretics confirmed a place in the upper bracket final, where Vancouver Surge awaited. A hard-fought 3-2 series saw Los Angeles Thieves book its place in its second Major Grand Final in three events.
Los Angeles Thieves turned the tide against Vancouver Surge, scoring a clinical 4-0 sweep to earn its first Major title of Black Ops 6.
Three victories in the Major 4 qualifiers were enough for the franchise to begin the final regular-season LAN in the upper bracket once again. The opening round kicked off with a rematch from the Major 3 Grand Final against Vancouver Surge, with the Thieves sweeping the opposition aside again to advance to the upper bracket’s second round.
Los Angeles Thieves then found itself in unfamiliar territory of the lower bracket, following a 3-2 defeat to Miami Heretics. The loss set up a clash against an OpTic Texas side slowly rediscovering its form after a turbulent first half of the season.
The Thieves knocked down the Green Wall with a 3-1 scoreline and carried that momentum into a second encounter with Miami Heretics, defeating the all-Spanish side 3-0 to secure its third Grand Final appearance.
The two best teams from the regular season finally faced off, with the Los Angeles Thieves emerging victorious with a 4-2 win to tie its opponent with the most Major wins of the season.
However, despite its strong form in the second half, Los Angeles Thieves was unable to carry its momentum into the CDL Championship. Defeats to Boston Breach and Vancouver Surge resulted in a shock top-12 placement, a sub-optimal end to an otherwise solid Black Ops 6 campaign.
Redemption for OpTic Texas
Heading into Black Ops 6 with a wealth of confidence following victory at the 2024 CDL Championship, OpTic Texas continued to display imperious form in the Major 1 qualifiers, finishing with six wins and a single defeat.
Despite the strong start online, the Green Wall couldn’t convert on LAN, falling to Miami Heretics in a five-game series in the opening round. Los Angeles Guerrillas M8 nearly pulled off an upset in the lower bracket, but OpTic Texas battled through to a 3-2 win to stay alive.
However, the franchise came crashing down at the hands of the Carolina Royal Ravens, sending the defending CDL champions home with a surprising top-eight placement. Shortly after Major 1’s conclusion, Amer ‘Pred’ Zulbeari returned to the starting lineup in place of Cuyler ‘Huke’ Garland, sparking a period of turbulence for the defending champions.
The roster move didn’t pay off. OpTic Texas ended the Major 2 qualifiers with the tenth seed and a win-to-loss record of 1-6. Over the first three weeks of qualifying matches, the new-look lineup lost 18 maps in a row, a stark contrast from its championship-winning success last season. A late 3-1 victory over the Los Angeles Guerrillas in week four offered little consolation for a team accustomed to competing at the front of the pack.
As a result of the woeful run of form, Kenny ‘Kenny’ Williams parted ways with the roster, while former world champion Cesar ‘Skyz’ Bueno aimed to steady the ship at the second LAN of the season. A top-eight finish at Major 2 capped off a disappointing run for OpTic Texas, a franchise desperately looking to dig itself out of its poor form as the risk of missing Champs began to loom large.
Following Major 2, Pred left the team again, while Huke returned to the starting lineup. The Green Wall held firm in the next set of qualifiers, scoring wins over Minnesota Rokkr and Cloud9 New York, before defeats to Miami Heretics, Las Vegas Falcons, and Atlanta FaZe locked in the seventh seed for Major 3.
The low seeding immediately put the pressure on the team in Boca Raton. A comfortable 3-0 sweep over the Las Vegas Falcons set up a clash against Atlanta FaZe, but a 3-0 victory for the Red Militia brought Major 3 to an abrupt end with yet another top-eight placement.
During Major 3, Toronto Ultra’s last-minute substitute, Mason ‘Mercules’ Ramsey, captured everyone’s attention. On debut, the rookie helped Toronto Ultra secure a top-three finish, sparking plenty of interest from rival franchises.
On May 6th, OpTic Texas unveiled Mercules as a replacement for Skyz on the starting roster. The impact was immediate, with the franchise finishing Major 4 qualifiers as the third seed for the final regular-season LAN. A top-four finish at Major 4 marked a noticeable step forward for a franchise that almost missed out on competing at Champs for the first time in the CDL era.
Despite entering the season-ending event with the seventh seed, all eyes were on OpTic Texas after it rediscovered form in pre-season practice. The Green Wall withstood everything thrown its way, sweeping aside Atlanta FaZe, Toronto Ultra, and Boston Breach with ease to book its place in its first Grand Final of Black Ops 6.
Vancouver Surge attempted to dethrone the defending CDL Champions in the Grand Final, hoping to go one step further than its second-place finishes earlier in the year. Despite its best efforts, a resurgent OpTic Texas won the series 5-3, successfully defending its title against all the odds.
The addition of Mercules to the starting four proved a masterstroke for a team struggling to establish clear roles. With Mercules pairing perfectly with Anthony ‘Shotzzy’ Cuevas-Castro, superior slaying ability sparked an unprecedented turnaround that saw OpTic Texas rise from an 0-18 losing streak to lifting the CDL Championship trophy.
Following the CDL’s conclusion, OpTic Texas, competing under the OpTic Gaming banner, attended the Esports World Cup. After sweeping through Group A with two victories, the reigning CDL champion made it to another Grand Final against the Vancouver Surge. The team fired on all cylinders to deliver a dominant 4-0 sweep and take home its second title, closing out Black Ops 6 on a high note.
The Call of Duty League Moves Into Black Ops 7
The off-season between Black Ops 6 and Black Ops 7 brought about several rebrandings and relocations, resulting in the 2025/26 season being the first that doesn’t feature any of the 12 franchises that debuted in 2020.
Treyarch’s latest release introduced various changes to movement mechanics, alongside the arrival of Overload, a brand-new game mode replacing Control as the third mode featured in competitive play.
After two weeks of online qualifiers for the first Major of 2026, OpTic Texas remains unbeaten with three victories to its name, while Paris Gentle Mates leads a tight midfield battle.
With the competition closer than ever, the sixth Call of Duty League edition is poised to be arguably one of the most competitive seasons in its history. Powerhouse rosters, combined with a solid competitive title, have the potential to push Call of Duty esports a step further and break even more records.
Source: https://esportsinsider.com/
