- Call of Duty-focused team Lightning Pandas has ceased operations.
- The organization cited Call of Duty’s move to a franchise system and associated costs.
- If it follows Overwatch’s example, Call of Duty will see a number of teams exit or cease operations if they fail to secure a franchise spot.
U.K.-based esports organization Lightning Pandas announced late last week that it has officially ceased operations. Lightning Pandas fielded teams in Fortnite 
, FIFA , and Call of Duty .
The organization was initially founded in 2014 as a Call of Duty squad, which then disbanded that same year. The Lightning Pandas brand was relaunched in 2017, and last year the organization secured a partnership with Western Digital.
In a Twitlonger post, Lightning Pandas ownership cites the organization’s failure to secure a spot in the Call of Duty Pro League as well as “the impending cost of franchising and other internal factors.” Activision Blizzard confirmed in February that Call of Duty will be moving to a franchised, geolocated league system similar to the Overwatch League (OWL).
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When the Overwatch League launched, the majority of teams outside of South Korea, including Reunited and Counter Logic Gaming, that did not secure a spot either ended their activity in the game or ceased operations entirely due to the lack of prize-supported tournaments outside of the OWL.
If the Call of Duty ecosystem similarly contracts when the franchise system is introduced, teams without significant financial backing (the buy-in for Call of Duty’s league will reportedly cost $25M) will likely be forced to follow suit.
