How to watch the Call of Duty League 2021

New teams, new faces, and a new format are coming to the CDL in 2021.

Image via Call of Duty League

After a turbulent inaugural season, the Call of Duty League is back in 2021.

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The league, like many esports events, moved to a fully-online format in the middle of its first season last year amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the changes and the subsequent issues with online play, the league concluded with the Dallas Empire becoming the first CDL champions in August.

Over the offseason, teams trimmed their rosters after the league ruled the 2021 season would be played in four-vs-four matches, a format previously used in competitive CoD until late 2018. Additionally, with no traveling scheduled due to the ongoing pandemic, the league altered the structure of its events.

The 12 CDL teams will battle it out for more than six months in the hopes of winning the 2021 CDL Championship.

Here’s how to watch the 2021 Call of Duty League season.

Format

Unlike last season, every team will be involved in every Home Series. While some teams will play one more group match than others in a week, every team will play five best-of-five matches during a single Stage.

Three Home Series events and a Major, a double-elimination tournament, make up a Stage. In total, there are five Stages throughout the season, meaning there will be 15 Home Series events and five Majors before the $2.5 million CDL Playoffs.

With each Home Series win, teams will earn 10 CDL Points. After the three Home Series events have concluded, the CDL Points standings will determine how the teams will be seeded in the Major’s double-elimination bracket.

Majors, which boast $500,000 prize pools, also give out CDL Points based on teams’ final placings. Here’s the CDL Points breakdown for Majors.

PlacingCDL Points
First75
Second60
Third50
Fourth40
Fifth-sixth30 each
Seventh-eighth20 each
Ninth-10th10 each
11th-12th0

Stream

The Call of Duty League’s 2021 season will be exclusively streamed on YouTube.

Schedule – Stage Five Major

Thursday, July 29

Time (CT)Team OneTeam Two
2pmSeattle SurgeParis Legion
3:30pmNew York SublinersLos Angeles Guerrillas
5pmAtlanta FaZeMinnesota RØKKR
6:30pmToronto UltraLos Angeles Thieves

Friday, July 30

Time (CT)Team OneTeam Two
2pmLondon Royal RavensTBD – Losers Bracket Round Two
3:30pmFlorida MutineersTBD – Losers Bracket Round Two
5pmDallas EmpireTBD – Winners Bracket Round Two
6:30pmOpTic ChicagoTBD – Winners Bracket Round Two

Saturday, July 31

Time (CT)Team OneTeam Two
12:30pmTBD – Losers Bracket Round ThreeTBD – Losers Bracket Round Three
2pmTBD – Losers Bracket Round ThreeTBD – Losers Bracket Round Three
3:30pmTBD – Losers Bracket QuarterfinalsTBD – Losers Bracket Quarterfinals
5pmTBD – Losers Bracket QuarterfinalsTBD – Losers Bracket Quarterfinals
6:30pmTBD – Winners Bracket FinalTBD – Winners Bracket Final

Sunday, Aug. 1

Time (CT)Team OneTeam Two
2pmTBD – Losers Bracket SemifinalsTBD – Losers Bracket Semifinals
3:30pmTBD – Losers Bracket FinalsTBD – Losers Bracket Finals
5pmTBD – Grand FinalsTBD – Grand Finals

This article will be updated throughout the 2021 season to reflect the current event’s schedule.

Author
Image of Preston Byers
Preston Byers
Dot Esports associate editor. Co-host of the Ego Chall Podcast. Since discovering esports through the 2013 Call of Duty Championship, Preston has pursued a career in esports and gaming. He graduated from Youngstown State University with a bachelor's degree in journalism in 2021.