What is a GA in Call of Duty?

One of the hottest talking points around the Call of Duty community is GAs.

Every once in a while, the discussion around GAs will take a stranglehold on the CoD community on social media. It’s all anyone wants to talk about, and the opinions are fierce, leading to spicy takes and arguments on Twitter, Reddit, and other social media forums. We can’t go a single year in competitive CoD without hearing about it.

But what exactly is a GA? It’s not Gun Attachment, Grenade Assist, or Gulag Attempt. It’s something way more important and has big implications on how Call of Duty League matches are played.

Here’s everything you need to know about a GA in CoD.

What is a ‘GA’ in the Call of Duty League?

“GA” in competitive CoD stands for “Gentleman’s Agreement.” Basically, this means that players agree to not use a weapon, item, or feature in the game that is otherwise not restricted by the official ruleset in place by the league.

When it comes to making competitive CoD an enticing product for viewers to watch, all of the game’s features come under consideration. But what the players like to play might be very different from what the league deems allowable. That’s where the GAs come into play.

The GA list is always a hot topic in competitive CoD. Usually, it includes things that players agree are overpowered or may compromise the competitive integrity of CDL matches when the stakes are the highest.

Items on the GA list sometimes can include things like smoke grenades and sniper rifles, meaning that players agree to not use these items in CDL matches because they have common ground in believing that the game might be better without them.

The conversation around the GA list is always highest on or around the launch of a new CoD game when things are still being figured out, but it will likely continue throughout each league year as certain weapons, attachments, and items are buffed or nerfed along the way.

Since there’s seemingly a vast difference between what players and fans want versus what the powers that be are willing to part with, the need for a GA list will likely continue for the foreseeable future. But in recent years, especially the Modern Warfare 3 season, some of the GA list made its way into the CDL and even Ranked Play.

Black Ops 6 CDL GA’s

Now that Ranked Play rules reflect the current CDL ruleset, the GA’s could potentially trickle into the game for regular players, too. For example, in the earliest days of BO6, players are already talking about a GA for assault rifles like the Model L and XM4.

Whenever the 2024-2025 CDL season begins, a ruleset will be put in place that likely features a combination of things that players want to GA, and what Treyarch thinks would work best for competitive play, and Ranked Play for the masses.

Many fans and players alike get annoyed by the amount of things that players look to get together and GA, especially if it may have an adverse effect on the viewing experience if the players end up using the same two-to-three weapons throughout the entire competitive season.

Regardless of how most feel about GAs, enough pro players feel they are a necessity for them to continue. But with the players, the league, and Activision and its developers working together, the hope is that everyone can come together on a ruleset that benefits all parties involved.

This article will be updated with more information when it becomes available.