Call of Duty League fans have voted and the matchups are in. The CDL revealed today a list of matchups that will take place during the Kickoff Classic exhibition event next weekend.
The games will begin on Jan. 23 with a heavily requested matchup of the Dallas Empire vs. the New York Subliners. This marquee game will see New York’s Clayster facing off against the four-man squad that he won the inaugural CDL Championship with on the Empire last year.
Clayster was left as the odd man out on Dallas in a move that had to be made. With the CDL announcing the move from five-vs-five to a four-vs-four format for this year, Clayster was simply a man without a team. New York soon picked him up, though, and he’s surely looking to take out his old friends and teammates and send a message early on.
The final matchup of the weekend is also a doozy, with OpTic Chicago taking on the Los Angeles Thieves. 100 Thieves CEO Nadeshot will be watching intently as his new organization faces OpTic, the organization that he helped turn into a brand name.
OpTic and 100T are both popular teams in Call of Duty, boasting huge social media numbers and big-time loyalty when it comes to their respective brands. It’s believed that those two teams, along with Dallas and FaZe, will be vying for position as the CDL’s most popular squads.
Another grudge match features the Paris Legion, led by Skrapz, taking on his former team in the London Royal Ravens. London had a great first year in the league but chose not to re-sign Skrapz or his brother Wuskin despite their strong play.
The Kickoff Classic will be just a taste of what to expect in Black Ops Cold War during the 2021 season, which begins on Feb. 11.
