For the first time in over a year, the Call of Duty League will have fans in attendance at a LAN event.
The CDL announced today that tickets are on sale now for the Stage Five Major, which will be held at the Esports Stadium Arlington in Texas from July 29 to Aug. 1. Fans will be able to attend matches on July 31 and Aug. 1.
This announcement comes after the CDL’s Stage Four Major event was held in Arlington last month, where the Atlanta FaZe beat the Dallas Empire 5-4 to win the tournament. It appears Stage Five group play will continue to be played online as it has since the COVID-19 pandemic paused in-person events around the globe in 2020.
This is a big win for the CDL. Competitive Call of Duty has always lived on the backs of the fan-driven excitement and reactions to big moments. Even with the return to LAN in Stage Four, without fans, the excitement level never reached what fans have come to expect with the live broadcast.
While it’s unclear exactly how many fans the Esports Stadium Arlington will allow, the Overwatch League is gearing up for an in-person event later this week on Friday, June 9, which will be limiting attendance to 50 percent. The CDL has not given a specific number yet, but like the OWL event, guests will be required to wear masks.
There are a few caveats to attending the event, according to the CDL’s website. Fans ages 17 and up are welcome, while 16-year-olds are allowed but must present a signed minor attendance permission form and no parental accompaniment is required. Fans ages 13 to 15 may attend but must have a signed permission form and be accompanied by a parent or guardian. No one under the age of 13 is allowed at the event.
The CDL returns to action on Thursday, July 8 with Stage Five group play. The London Royal Ravens will take on the Atlanta FaZe at 2pm CT.
