Activision Blizzard has altered the format of the Call of Duty League before its inaugural season gets under way.
The franchised league will have a tournament-based format starting with its second week, which will be hosted in London, UK.
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The format is said to be “both familiar to the legacy of Call of Duty esports and fresh amidst the backdrop of our city-based franchised structure.” It’ll be incorporated alongside a new points system that’ll be in effect from launch weekend, though details are scarce at the time of writing.
The previous format was subject to criticism as teams, some weeks, would have to travel across the country – or internationally on occasions – to play a single series. While specifics haven’t been disclosed about the new format, it appears as if all 12 franchises will be competing at each home series event.
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This change was announced just a month prior to the league’s inaugural event in Minnesota, US. Making a large-scale change such as this is no light feat, which Johanna Faries, Commissioner of Call of Duty Esports hinted at during an interview with Sports Illustrated.
Faries explained the reasoning behind the change: “We could sense that tournaments were on a lot of people’s wish lists within our community. So we and our teams worked hard to create a fresh new take on a beloved format that we all feel will make the competition even more exciting going into the 2020 season. It took some effort, but it’s been nice to be able to ‘gift’ the news to our fans around the holidays. We can’t wait to get started in January.”
Esports Insider says: This is a welcome change for players and fans alike judging by the reception on social media. What’s slightly frustrating however, is that this could have been avoided if those behind the league listened to industry veterans and experienced players to begin with. A lesson is to be learned there, we’re sure.
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