Call of Duty Esports prepares to change again

The Call of Duty World League has only been in existence since 2016, but it is already changing dramatically, which could spell the end of its current format, which combines weekly matches with their own cash prizes and more. major bimonthly tournaments. Activision expects its hit shooters series to follow in the wake of the Blizzard campaign. Overwatch by channeling regional rivalries to fuel growth. This weekend, the best teams in the game face London, while the scene around it threatens to evolve again.

During its call for results yesterday, Activision announced the creation of a partnership with organizations from five different cities – Atlanta, Dallas, New York, Paris and Toronto – to create an urban professional league Call of Duty. Activision had previously announced its intention to Call of Duty the Everwatch League, so it's no surprise that the top five teams in the new league are based in places that have already Overwatch teams.

But it's an interesting gambit in general. A new Call of Duty The game has been released every year since 2005. It was not until 2008, when Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare published that the series has really started to take off. This game was featured at the 2008 Major League National Championship in Las Vegas, with its sequels played the following years, becoming a staple of the event and eventually crowding out. Halo as the first console shooting game.

In 2016, Activision decided to take things in hand by organizing its own league called Call of Duty World League. There were weekly matches and a world championship, but also random intermittent tournaments in different cities during the rest of the year. It was a sort of bridge between the old way of doing esport – random events organized by third parties with cash prizes, largely funded by commercial sponsors – and something more stable and professional like traditional sports.

Now the game seems completely cut off with its past at the base and is entering a new era from top to bottom, where the main competitors are those who can afford seats in a league costing about $ 25 million, according to a report from # 39; ESPN.

CWL London, however, remains one of the last major Call of Duty events leading to the final in July. Team Envy, whose parent company, Envy Gaming, will lead Dallas » Call of Duty the team will participate, as well as other high-end players like Optic Gaming and Evil Geniuses. Matches began today and will continue Saturday at 9:00 am ET until 3:00 pm. On Sunday, the action starts earlier at 17:00 and the grand finale is scheduled for 12:30. You can see the entire event streaming live on the internet. Call of Duty Twitch Canal.