The launch date of the 2021 Call of Duty League campaign is approaching, but ahead of the start of the Black Ops Cold War pro season there will be a series of showcases called Kickoff Classic – here’s everything you need to know about this pre-season event .
- The exhibition event will take place online from 23 to 24 January
- All 12 teams will participate; Some strong matches decided by the fans
- OpTic will face Chicago and LA Thieves after an off-season rebranding
Ahead of their highly anticipated second season, the CDL is hosting their first-ever classic kickoff – a pre-season event where all 12 teams will play each exhibition game in preparation for the regular season.
To make things even more interesting, the League has teamed up with fans to create a number of high profile matches, including OpTic Gaming vs LA Thieves and Dallas Empire vs New York Subliners.
Kickoff Classic will be held over two days – January 23-24 It will be played online which will likely be the case for most, if not all, 2021 tournaments.
The CDL Kickoff Classic took place ahead of the 2021 regular season.
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CDL Kickoff Classic: Stream
Due to Call of Duty League’s partnership with YouTube, the event will be broadcast live exclusively on the YouTube CDL channel, which we’ll be recording here as the event approaches.
CDL Kickoff Classic: Table and Results
Saturday January 23
| matching | PST | the East | GMT (UK) | AEDT (off) |
| Dallas Empire vs New York Sabliners | 12.00 | 3 hours | 20:00 | 7:00 am (January 24) |
| LA Guerrillas v Seattle Serge | 1:30 PM | 4:30 in the afternoon. | 9.30 pm | 8:30 am (January 24) |
| Atlanta Axe vs. Florida Rebels | 3 hours | 6:00 PM | 11:00 pm in the evening. | 10:00 am (January 24) |
Sunday January 24
| matching | PST | the East | GMT (UK) | AEDT (off) |
| London Royal Ravens vs Paris Corps | 12.00 | 3 hours | 20:00 | 7:00 am (January 24) |
| Toronto Ultra vs Minnesota ROKKR match | 1:30 PM | 4:30 in the afternoon. | 9.30 pm | 8:30 am (January 24) |
| OpTic Chicago versus LA Thieves | 3 hours | 6:00 PM | 11:00 pm in the evening. | 10:00 am (January 24) |
CDL Kickoff Classic: Teams and Players
Since this is the first official CDL match in Black Ops Cold War, there will be a lot of eyes for how all the new menus will perform. All 12 teams had to make at least one change due to the move to the 4v4 format, with some choosing to fully complement their teams.
As for the contests, stories abound. The first game is OpTic Gaming vs LA Thieves – a battle between the two renamed franchises and the next chapter of rivalry that started again in Black Ops 4.
Three-time World Champion Cluster, now with the New York Subliners, will face the CDL Champion defending the Dallas Empire for the first time since he was banned from their roster due to the 4v4 switch.
watch now: Top 7 players of the 2021 season Black Ops Cold War CDL
Former Huntsman, Arcitys, debuts Atlanta FaZe against the new-looking Florida Mutineers, one of the best teams of the 2020 season, while Toronto Ultra and Minnesota ROKKR give another boost to their “Battle of the North” rivalry.
| the team | Players |
| Atlanta ax | Simp, aBeZy, Cellium en Arcitys |
| Empire of Dallas | Crimsix, Shotzzy, Huke, iLLeY |
| Insurgents in Florida | Skyz, Havok, Owakening, Slacked |
| London Royal Ravens | Shawnee, Alexx, Dylan, Zer0 |
| Bendeoorlog in Los Angeles | SOUL, attacked, alive, indifferent |
| Los Angeles thieves | SlasheR, Kenny, TJHaLy, Temp |
| Minnesota Rocker | Confirm, accuracy, to his Pristh, Major Manek |
| New York Subliners | ZooMaa, Clayester, MAC, Hydra |
| OpTic Chicago | Scump, FormaL, Envoy, Dashy |
| Corps of Paris | Scrubs, Classic, Aqua, Fire |
| Seattle Serge | Octane, Gunlis, Pristine, Looney |
| Toronto Ultra | METHODS, BANS, KLEINX, CAME |
Make sure to follow us on Twitter, DexertoINTEL, for the live coverage of CDL Kickoff Classic as we’ll be tweeting updates on results, clips, and anything else you need to keep up with all the action.
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