5 Favorites to Win the Inaugural Call of Duty League Championship

The Call of Duty League Playoffs start Aug.19 with 12 teams battling it out in a double-elimination bracket.

The top eight seeds from the regular season were seeded into the Winners Bracket, while the bottom four will start the Playoffs in the Elimination Bracket. Additionally, the top two seeds, Atlanta FaZe and Dallas Empire, will enjoy two bye rounds, meaning they’re both just two wins away from the championship final.

An immediate advantage earned during the regular season, but fans shouldn’t count out other squads looking to be crowned champions.

Here are the five favorites to win the inaugural Call of Duty League Championship.

5 Favorites to Win the Inaugural Call of Duty League Championship

5. New York Subliners

New York had a shaky start to the season struggling to pick up CDL Points. Once the franchise made a roster change bringing in rookie Mackenzie “Mack” Kelley, their season turned around instantly.

The Subliners defended home turf in their home series defeating the Chicago Huntsmen in the final. A late season surge helped New York secure an upper bracket spot, but the team has a tough road ahead of them starting with the Minnesota Røkkr.

4. Chicago Huntsmen

Chicago is a fan favorite, featuring well-known names such as Matthew “FormaL” Piper and Seth “Scump” Abner. The team also features twins Preston “Prestinni” and Alec “Arcitys” Sanderson. In addition to that talented group, the Huntsmen are further bolstered by arguably their biggest star this season, Dylan “Envoy” Hannon.

A nominee for season MVP, Envoy broke out in Black Ops 4 on Gen.G. Now, he’s playing alongside all-time greats and will be the catalyst to a championship run.

3. Florida Mutineers

Florida surprised teams early on, but started to flounder toward the middle of the season. The ship was righted when the Mutineers added Joseph “Owakening” Conley. Another rookie making a name for himself this season, he’s been vital in two of Florida’s three home series victories.

Florida has a first-round bye awaiting the winner of London Royal Ravens vs. Toronto Ultra. It won’t be an easy road to a championship, but there’s no doubting Florida’s ceiling.

2. Dallas Empire

Fans quickly jumped on the Dallas Empire bandwagon when the roster was announced. A core three of Cuyler “Huke” Garland, James “Clayster” Eubanks, and Ian “C6” Porter alongside the upstart Indervir “iLLeY” Dhaliwal and rookie Anthony “Shotzzy” Cuevas-Castro are a formidable five.

Dallas is one of the few teams to keep its roster intact all season and the success has paid off with three Home Series wins. Clayster and C6 are keen to prove doubters wrong and deliver a league title together for the first time.

1. Atlanta FaZe

What’s not to love about this Atlanta FaZe team? A superstar team with insane firepower on all fronts that can beat you in every game mode handedly.

FaZe is the one of two teams to pick up CDL Points in each of its Home Series appearances. The top seed in the Playoffs finished the regular season with a 26-7 series record going 86-46 in map count. Atlanta banked on young guns to lead the way and it’s paid off tenfold.

As the 1-seed, Atlanta only needs to win its first two matches to get to the Championship final.

The CDL Playoffs begin Aug. 19, with $4.6M on the line. Tune in at YouTube.com/CODLeague

This article is the result of a partnership between DBLTAP and Activision Blizzard