Only one event remains in the 2018-19 Call of Duty World League season: the $2 million CWL Championship in Los Angeles.
While most fans will view just a handful of teams as true contenders, any of the 32 competing squads have a shot at the $800,000 grand prize. The annual event, which began in 2013, has remained the biggest tournament of the year for players and fans alike in Call of Duty esports, so every player has something to prove next month.
But before we can get to the event, the pool play groups must be decided. At CWL Champs, there are eight separate groups comprised of four teams each. In each group, there will be two CWL Pro League teams and two teams that qualified from the CWL Amateur Finals last weekend.
Some teams have already secured spots in their respective groups, but the majority of the field will have their eyes on the CWL Champs Pool Draw Show on July 31, which will show the teams who they’ll face in pool play.
The drawing can be somewhat confusing, mostly because of the different pots that teams belong to. But don’t worry—we’ve got you covered.
Who’s already locked in?
Before explaining the rest of the field’s possible groups, the top four teams from the CWL Finals and CWL Amateur Finals have already been locked into specific groups.
Related: eUnited defeat Gen.G to win CWL Finals 2019, break Clayster’s 1,400-day championship drought
The winners from Miami—eUnited and The Bhoys—are both in Group A. The runners-up—Gen.G and Team WaR—are in Group B. FaZe Clan and Mazer Gaming are in Group C, while Team Reciprocity and Sage Esports are in Group D.
With that part out of the way, let’s discuss the variables.
CWL Pro League variables
Teams will be seeded according to their CWL Finals or CWL Amateur Finals placings. That means that one of the two teams that tied for fifth—100 Thieves and Luminosity—will be the top team in Group E, while the other will take the top spot in Group F.
The same logic applies to Group G and H, where OpTic Gaming and Splyce (the teams that tied for seventh at CWL Finals) will be placed. Team Heretics and Evil Geniuses, who tied for ninth, will also be drawn into Group G or Group H.
The six Pro League teams that failed to qualify for the CWL Finals will be drawn into the first six groups, but there are some restrictions.
UYU and Midnight Esports, who tied for 11th, can only be drawn into either Group F or Group G. And since there were four teams that failed to win a match at the playoffs play-in—Team Envy, Enigma6, Elevate, and Units—they’ll be seeded according to their regular season placings.
This means that the two teams with the best records out of the four—Team Envy and Units—will be drawn into Group C or Group D. Enigma6 and Elevate will then be drawn into Group A or Group B.
Related: The top 10 highest-earning players in Call of Duty history
CWL Amateur Finals variables
While The Bhoys, Team WaR, Mazer Gaming, and Sage Esports know their spots already, the other 12 CWL Amateur Finals teams will be anxiously waiting for the group drawing.
Like their CWL Pro League counterparts, there are restrictions to where each team can be drawn because of their placings. The teams that tied for fifth—Team Singularity and Sicario Gaming—will either be drawn into Group E or Group F. Carnage Gaming and Aspire Esports, who tied for seventh, will go into Group G or Group H.
Related: Every team that’s qualified for CoD Champs 2019
The bottom eight teams from the Amateur Finals will have a lot more uncertainty. Those who tied for ninth—eXcalibur, FURY Gaming, Hybrid Gaming, and TrainHard Esports—will be split between Groups E, F, G, or H. The teams that tied for 13th—Fire Sticks Gaming, Team Divinely, Fuego Gaming, and LGND Status—will go into Groups A, B, C, or D.
If the explanations didn’t help, maybe a visual representation will.
Group A
- eUnited
- Enigma6 / Elevate
- The Bhoys
- Fire Sticks Gaming / Team Divinely / Fuego Gaming / LGND Status
Group B
- Gen.G
- Enigma6 / Elevate
- Team WaR
- Fire Sticks Gaming / Team Divinely / Fuego Gaming / LGND Status
Group C
- FaZe Clan
- Team Envy / Units
- Mazer Gaming
- Fire Sticks Gaming / Team Divinely / Fuego Gaming / LGND Status
Group D
- Team Reciprocity
- Team Envy / Units
- Sage Esports
- Fire Sticks Gaming / Team Divinely / Fuego Gaming / LGND Status
Group E
- Luminosity / 100 Thieves
- UYU / Midnight Esports
- Team Singularity / Sicario Gaming
- eXcalibur / FURY Gaming / Hybrid Gaming / TrainHard Esports
Group F
- Luminosity / 100 Thieves
- UYU / Midnight Esports
- Team Singularity / Sicario Gaming
- eXcalibur / FURY Gaming / Hybrid Gaming / TrainHard Esports
Group G
- Splyce / OpTic Gaming
- Team Heretics / Evil Geniuses
- Carnage Gaming / Aspire Esports
- eXcalibur / FURY Gaming / Hybrid Gaming / TrainHard Esports
Group H
- Splyce / OpTic Gaming
- Team Heretics / Evil Geniuses
- Carnage Gaming / Aspire Esports
- eXcalibur / FURY Gaming / Hybrid Gaming / TrainHard Esports
The CWL Champs group draw will take place on July 31, according to the Call of Duty World League. The big event will run from Aug. 14 to 18 in Los Angeles at the Edwin W. Pauley Pavilion.
