CWL
Last August, the legend of OpTic Gaming’s dynasty was cemented at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida as Damon “Karma” Barlow, Seth “Scump” Abner, Ian “Crimsix” Porter, and Matthew “FormaL” Piper earned the Green Wall’s first ever Call of Duty World League Championship.
Starting November 3, these four legends will attempt to defend their legacy against thousands of worthy competitors across the globe, when the Call of Duty World League returns for the 2018 season.
The next season of the CWL will be the ultimate test for the best Call of Duty players in the world, as over the next ten months, $4.2 million will be up for grabs through MLG GameBattles and at live events around the world.
Competitors also play to earn CWL Pro Points, which serve as the currency in our ranking system. Teams who put in the work and earn more CWL Pro Points than the rest via MLG GameBattles matches, Online 2K Tournaments, and Global Open Events, will be able to qualify for Stage 1 of the CWL Pro League.
Here is the full rundown of when, where, and how you can earn Pro Points, and potentially a share of the 2018 Call of Duty World League’s multimillion-dollar prize pool.
MLG GameBattles Ladders
You may think that the third CWL season kicks off when the first official online or offline tournament begins, but it in fact begins on the release date of Call of Duty: WWII.
On November 3, 2017, MLG GameBattles will open up online ladders for the North American, European, and Asian-Pacific regions, where prospective Call of Duty World League players can earn CWL Pro Points.
What exactly is a ladder on MLG GameBattles? Think of it as the official platform where Call of Duty World League competitors can challenge each other for CWL Pro Points, and the ultimate scoreboard for bragging rights in the Call of Duty competitive community. Players can match up against players of all skill levels on the official MLG GameBattles website, as well as in-game on PS4 in Call of Duty: WWII.
You’ll earn five CWL Pro Points for each win on your region’s ladder, as well as ten bonus CWL Pro Points for your first win of the day. You can earn a maximum of 35 points per day on your regional MLG GameBattles ladder.
These ladders are completely free to play, and will be open until the end of the season.
MLG GameBattles 2K Tournaments
The first month of the MLG GameBattles ladders are going to be crucial to your success in the Call of Duty World League, as those first CWL Pro Point opportunities of the season will be your key to better seeding in MLG GameBattles 2K tournaments.
The first 2K tournament of the year in each region will be seeded based on total Pro Points earned from the 2017 season. Teams who did not earn any pro points during the 2017 season will be seeded randomly.
MLG GameBattles 2K tournaments are single-elimination tournaments held online via MLG GameBattles. The “2K” stands for “2,000,” the maximum amount of CWL Pro Points a player can earn in these tournaments. These online regional tournaments are sometimes the difference makers between CWL teams during the season. 2Ks offer CWL contenders a chance at gaining ground on top teams, putting themselves in better starting positions at future CWL 2k Tournaments and CWL Global Opens.
CWL Global Open Events
In its brief but storied history, competitive Call of Duty is known for its open tournament events, where the community comes together to create one of the most electrifying atmospheres in esports, and where every competitor has a shot at going home with Pro Points and cash prizes.
These open tournament events are back again in the form of CWL Global Open Events, and the first Global Open for this season will be held at the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center in Dallas, Texas from December 8-10. This will mark the first stop on the CWL Global Open Event circuit, and we expect to have up to 160 teams in the CWL Dallas Open bracket.
As ranked through CWL Pro Points as of November 27th for Pools, December 4th for the Open, the top 10 North American teams, the top five European squads, and the best APAC team, will be automatically invited to the pool stage of the CWL Dallas Open. All other teams will be placed in the open bracket by their total CWL Pro Points. Those competing in the open bracket will have the opportunity to play for the final four pool play spots at the event, as well as four additional championship bracket spots.
But that’s not the only event to mark in your calendar, as we are also excited to reveal two more events that will take place within the first six months of the Call of Duty World League 2018 season.
Whoever wins the CWL Dallas Open will have little time to prepare to defend their title, because there will be another Global Open Event just five weeks after the confetti rains down in Dallas. Held in the same city that hosted the 2015 MLG Finals, the CWL New Orleans Open will take place from January 12-14, and will be a crucial stop in the road to the 2018 CWL Championship.
Rounding out the first three Global Open Events will be the CWL Atlanta Open, which will be held from March 9-11. Atlanta is known in the competitive Call of Duty community for the city that put eUnited on the map, as they defeated fan favorites OpTic Gaming in an epic grand final last season.
The next three Global Open Events will be revealed on December 8th, 2017 at the CWL Dallas Open, and we can also confirm that every Global Open Event will offer a $200,000 prize pool— a grand total of $1.2 million offered across these six events.
If you are as ready as we are to start this intercontinental road trip, you can order your team pass for CWL Dallas beginning on October 27, 2017 at 1pm Eastern.
CWL Pro League
The CWL Global Pro League, now simply titled the CWL Pro League, has returned with a new name, a new schedule, and a new format to boot.
The CWL Pro League is a two-stage, offline event that will pit sixteen of the best Call of Duty teams from around the world against each other in a battle for pro points and some serious cash.
CWL Pro Points will be the key to qualifying for this exclusive league, and the best APAC team, along with the top ten North American teams and the top five European teams, will gain access to the first stage of this premier, multistage LAN event.
Stage 1 of the CWL Pro League will kick off on January 23, 2018, and matches will take place on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. The sixteen teams will be divided into two divisions of eight, and each division will play across four weeks of competition, giving us eight weeks of regular season action
The first stage of the CWL Pro League will offer $200,000 to regular season participants, and an additional $500,000 prize pool for the top eight teams that make it to the Stage 1 Playoffs.
While the top four teams in each division will qualify for the playoffs, the bottom two teams of each division will be relegated, and will have to fight their way back into Stage 2 of the CWL Pro League at a tournament that we will talk about at a later date.
The 12 teams that survive Stage 1, as well as the four teams that make it out of the relegation tournament, will qualify into Stage 2 of the CWL Pro League, which will begin on May 22, 2018 and end on the weekend of July 27, 2018. On top of playing for their chance at a share of another $700,000 prize pool, bringing the total money offered in the CWL Pro League to an even $1.4 million, these 16 teams will also earn the first 16 spots of the 2018 Call of Duty World League Championship.
CWL National Circuit
Two years ago, we debuted the official Call of Duty World League to bring together the best of the best in competitive Call of Duty. Last year, we started a Global Pro League to allow for consistent international competition between the top Call of Duty teams.
And this year, we add another level to the Call of Duty World League, through CWL National Circuit.
If the CWL Pro League is the premier division for competitive Call of Duty, then the CWL National Circuit are the next lower tier of leagues for those ready to break out in the general CWL. The National Circuit fills in the gap between the CWL Pro League and online ladders and tournaments, and hopes to further welcome and grow competitive Call of Duty communities in multiple countries around the world.
There are eight leagues in total within the CWL National Circuit, and they are based in the USA, Canada, UK, Spain, Italy, Germany, France and Australia. Each of these leagues will be open to eight teams and will offer prizes in the form of CWL Pro Points, cash, and even entry to the Open Bracket, paid travel and accommodations to a major LAN event.
These leagues will play online on select Fridays throughout the CWL Pro League season, and will utilize a single round robin format. The top 4 teams at the end of the stage will compete in playoffs. The team that wins their country’s Online League will take home 3,000 Pro Points per player, $1,000, and a trip to a major LAN event.
Qualification and further details for the CWL National Circuit will be coming soon, and we cannot wait to share what’s in store for this brand-new addition to the Call of Duty World League.
The 2018 Call of Duty World League Championship
The 2018 Call of Duty World League Championship will be the final destination for the most elite Call of Duty players at the end of the season, but we can’t reveal the exact location and dates of this epic event just yet.
What we can tell you is to set aside a long weekend in August to watch the best 32 teams across the globe compete for their share of $1.5 million dollars, and come prepared to witness a new legend be forged at the 2018 Call of Duty World League Championship.
We cannot wait to see new and returning CWL fans at events and in our livestreams throughout the season, as well as the players who are ready to try their hand and compete all season long for a shot at the CWL Championship.
We wish the best of luck to all of our competitors as they prepare for another action-packed season, and we hope to see you create your own legacy during the 2018 Call of Duty World League season.
For more intel about Call of Duty World League, be sure to visit CallofDuty.com/esports