On Sunday, August 30, Atlanta FaZe and Dallas Empire met in a heated series of games to determine the Call of Duty League 2020 champions, with the winners not only getting the usual rings and trophy, but a custom throne to lord their glory from. Dallas Empire took their spot on that throne, beating FaZe for the second time in the CDL Championship Weekend. That Sunday Finals matchup didn’t just break records for the 2020 season. It was the most watched Call of Duty esports match ever.
At more than 330K peak concurrent viewers, the Championship match for the inaugural franchised Call of Duty League season—following some big changes from the previous Call of Duty World League—set all-new records for Call of Duty esports. CDL had been steadily growing through the year, despite facing challenges concerning COVID and moving to an all-digital presentation. These numbers paint a picture of success for the League as it begins to move towards the 2021 season.
The record-breaking match pitted the 2nd (Dallas Empire) and 1st (Atlanta FaZe) ranked teams from the regular season against one another. It was the second time the two had encountered each other in finals weekend, with Empire knocking FaZe down to the elimination match on Saturday. FaZe won against the Chicago Huntsmen to secure a place in the Championships on Sunday, but Empire once again came down hard on FaZe, outplaying them at nearly every turn and taking the series with a 5-1 victory.
THE REACTION: @DallasEmpire HAVE DONE IT!#TakeTheThrone | #CDLChamps | #CDL2020 pic.twitter.com/S4AwpPxtUr
— Call of Duty League (@CODLeague) August 30, 2020
The all-digital event decked out Warzone’s Verdansk Stadium in Dallas Empire logos and colors as fireworks went off around the bombed out arena (seen in the image above), a nice meta touch. The broadcast also provided eager Warzone fans and those excited for Black Ops Cold War with a few Easter eggs, as long as you were paying close attention. Keen-eyed viewers noticed an added subway entrance near the Stadium, hinting at the ongoing rumor that Warzone will be getting some kind of underground subway system in Season 6. There was also a teaser that directed players back to PawnTakesPawn.com, now updated with an all-new meta game.
Few details about the Call of Duty League 2021 season are known yet. They did confirm a return to 4v4 play versus this year’s 5v5. It will also presumably take place in Treyarch’s Black Ops Cold War, and as long as that partnership with PlayStation holds up, expect it to be played using the PS5. Look forward to more details announced before the season kicks off next year.
Were you one of the viewers watching the record-breaking CDL Championship match? Did you manage to snag one of those Black Ops Cold War beta codes that were dropping? Let us know in the comments below.
