Major I of the 2024 CDL Season Kicks off this afternoon

(Gray News) - Major I of the 2024 Call of Duty League (CDL) season is finally here after a month and a half of qualifiers. Teams have given fans a glimpse at their capabilities and have been placed in either the winners’ or losers’ bracket based on where they currently sit in the standings.

The major is hosted by Boston Breach and will start on Thursday, January 25th, at 1:30 PM EST / 12:30 PM CST / 10:30 AM PST. The tournament will begin at the same time each day, with the Grand Finals deciding the Major I winner on Sunday, January 28th at 6 PM EST / 5 PM CST / 3 PM PST.

The tournament format is a double elimination bracket with 8 teams starting in the winners’ bracket and 4 teams waiting in the losers’ bracket to see who their first opponent will be. Teams will make their way through the bracket in hopes of claiming first, which comes with the biggest share of the prize pool and 100 CDL points.

The first four matchups for Thursday afternoon have already been set, with Atlanta FaZe and Los Angeles Guerrillas going head-to-head first. Atlanta FaZe should have the edge in this match as they already beat Guerrillas 3-0 during the third week of qualifiers. Guerrillas must be on top of their game to avoid dropping to the losers’ bracket immediately.

The day’s second match is between New York Subliners and Minnesota RØKKR. On paper, this match leans heavily in favor of the Subliners, but the RØKKR have been putting things together lately and finished the qualifiers with three straight wins. The pressure still lies on RØKKR, though, as they lost to the Subliners in the qualifiers, and their 3-4 record is far outweighed by Subliners 6-1 record.

Toronto Ultra versus Seattle Surge is the penultimate match of the day. Ultra swept Surge when they played in the qualifiers and have the better overall record, so Surge has their work cut out for them.

OpTic Texas and Miami Heretics will close out Thursday with arguably the best matchup of the day. OpTic had a rough ride through qualifiers, ending with a 4-3 record that included a couple of losses that left fans scratching their heads. One such loss was to the Heretics this past weekend. The Heretics flat-out swept OpTic, which gained them some well-deserved respect going into Major I. But LAN tournaments are a whole other beast that showcases a team’s true potential, and if nothing else, the makeup of OpTic’s roster holds a vast amount of potential. Both teams are hungry to start the season on the right foot, and this match could be a shootout to declare a victor.

Tournament Schedule for Thursday, January 25th:

• Atlanta FaZe vs. Los Angeles Guerrillas - 1:30 PM EST / 12:30 PM CST / 10:30 AM PST
• New York Subliners vs. Minnesota RØKKR - 3 PM EST / 2 PM CST / 1 PM PST
• Toronto Ultra vs. Seattle Surge - 4:30 PM EST / 3:30 PM CST / 1:30 PM PST
• OpTic Texas vs. Miami Heretics - 6 PM EST / 5 PM CST / 3 PM PST

Vegas Legion, Los Angeles Thieves, Boston Breach, and the Carolina Royal Ravens will be watching to see who falls to them in the losers’ bracket for their matches on Friday.

Tournament Schedule for Friday, January 26th:

• Carolina Royal Ravens vs. TBD - 1:30 PM EST / 12:30 PM CST / 10:30 AM PST
• Los Angeles Thieves vs. TBD - 3 PM EST / 2 PM CST / 1 PM PST
• Vegas Legion vs. TBD - 4:30 PM EST / 3:30 PM CST / 1:30 PM PST
• Boston Breach vs. TBD - 6 PM EST / 5 PM CST / 3 PM PST
• Elimination Round 2 (Teams TBD) - 7:30 PM EST / 6:30 PM CST / 4:30 PM PST

Atlanta FaZe unsurprisingly sits as the favorites to win Major I as they finished qualifiers undefeated and have a strong history of making it to Winners Finals and Grand Finals in previous Majors. OpTic Texas is another team to keep an eye on, as they usually make good things happen on LAN and are eager to bounce back from a rough week of qualifiers. Miami Heretics should also be on everyone’s radar, as they have already exceeded expectations in their first CDL season. The Subliners, who are the reigning 2023 CDL Champs, are also positioned to perform well in Major I. Finally, if nothing else, Boston Breach is looking to put on a good show for their home crowd and possibly come away with a good amount of CDL points.

No matter what team you root for, the 2024 CDL Major I is finally here and is prime for some electric COD. Go to the COD League YouTube Channel to watch the major, as it is the central hub for all live-streamed tournament play.

Gray Television is an investor in OpTic Gaming.