The launch date of the 2021 Call of Duty League campaign is nearing, but before the start of the Black Ops Cold War professional season there will be a set of showcases called Kickoff Classic – here’s everything you need to know about this pre-season event.
- The exhibition event takes place from January 23 to 24, online
- All 12 teams will participate; Some strong matches decided by the fans
- OpTic will face Chicago and LA Thieves after changing brands out of season
Ahead of their highly anticipated second season, the CDL hosts their first ever classic kick-off – a pre-season event that will see all 12 team play every single exhibition match in preparation for the regular season.
To make things even more interesting, the League has engaged with fans to create some high-profile matches, including OpTic Gaming vs LA Thieves and Dallas Empire vs New York Subliners.
Kickoff Classic is held over two days – January 23-24 It will be played online, which will likely be the case for most, if not all, 2021 tournaments.
CDL’s Kickoff Classic pre-season event prior to the 2021 regular season.
CDL Kickoff Classic: Stream
Due to Call of Duty League’s partnership with YouTube, the event will be broadcast live exclusively on the YouTube CDL channel, which we will include here as soon as the event approaches.
CDL Kickoff Classic: Table and Results
Saturday January 23
| match | PST | the East | GMT (UK) | AEDT (off) |
| Dallas Empire vs New York Sabliners | 12:00 pm | 3 o’clock | 20:00 | 7:00 am (January 24) |
| LA Guerrillas vs Seattle Serge | 1:30 PM | 4:30 p.m. | 9:30 pm | 8:30 am (January 24) |
| Atlanta Ax vs. Florida Rebels | 3 o’clock | 6:00 pm | 11:00 p.m. | 10:00 am (January 24) |
Sunday 24 January
| match | PST | the East | GMT (UK) | AEDT (off) |
| London Royal Ravens vs Paris Corps | 12:00 pm | 3 o’clock | 20:00 | 7:00 am (January 24) |
| Toronto Ultra vs Minnesota ROKKR match | 1:30 PM | 4:30 p.m. | 9:30 pm | 8:30 am (January 24) |
| OpTic Chicago vs LA Thieves | 3 o’clock | 6:00 pm | 11:00 p.m. | 10:00 am (January 24) |
CDL Kickoff Classic: Teams and Players
As this is the first official CDL match in Black Ops Cold War, there will be a lot of eyes on how all of the new menus will perform. All 12 teams had to make at least one change due to the switch to the 4v4 format, with some choosing to completely replenish their teams.
As for the matches, they are stories galore. The first match will be OpTic Gaming vs LA Thieves – a battle between the two renamed franchises and the next chapter of rivalry that started again in Black Ops 4.
Three-time world champion Cluster, now with the New York Subliners, will face the CDL champion defending the Dallas Empire for the first time since he was excluded from their list due to the 4v4 switch.
watch now: Top 7 Players of the 2021 Season Black Ops Cold War CDL
Former Huntsman, Arcitys, will debut with Atlanta FaZe against the new-looking Florida Mutineers, one of the best teams of the 2020 season, while Toronto Ultra and Minnesota ROKKR add another boost to their “Battle of the North” rivalry.
| the team | Players |
| Atlanta Ax | Simp, aBeZy, Cellium, and Arcitys |
| Empire of Dallas | Crimsix, Shotzzy, Huke, iLLeY |
| Florida insurgents | Skyz, Havok, Owakening, Slacked |
| London Royal Ravens | Shawnee, Alexx, Dylan, Zer0 |
| Gang warfare in Los Angeles | SiLLY, assaulted, lively, indifferent |
| Los Angeles thieves | SlasheR, Kenny, TJHaLy, Temp |
| Minnesota Rocker | Attach, Accuracy, to his Pristh, Major Manek |
| New York Subliners | ZooMaa, Clayester, MAC, Hydra |
| OpTic Chicago | Scump, FormaL, Envoy, Dashy |
| Paris Corps | Scrubs, Classic, Aqua, Fire |
| Seattle Serge | Octane, Gunlis, Pristine, Looney |
| Toronto Ultra | METHODS, BANS, KLEINX, CAME |
Be sure to follow us on Twitter, DexertoINTEL, for the live coverage of CDL Kickoff Classic, as we will be tweeting results updates, clips and everything else you need to keep up with all the action.
