Recap of CDL Week One Qualifiers for Toronto Ultra hosted Major I

(Gray News) - The 2024-25 Call of Duty League (CDL) season has officially started, and the first week of qualifying for Major I gave us a glimpse of what teams have been working on in the offseason. A lot happened in the offseason, including roster changes and four teams changing their identity.

Two teams only slightly changed their names, Vancouver Surge (formerly known as Seattle Surge) and The Los Angeles Guerrillas M8 (formerly known as Los Angeles Guerrillas). The other two teams, Vegas Falcons (formerly Vegas Legion) and Cloud9 New York (formerly New York Subliners), went for a complete rebrand. The only team of the four that didn’t change hands in ownership was the Vancouver Surge, who just relocated. Only three of the original 12 teams who entered the CDL in its first season remain untouched. Those three are Toronto Ultra, Minnesota RØKKR, and Atlanta FaZe.

Regarding roster changes, some teams, namely Atlanta FaZe and OpTic Texas, made no adjustments. Others only made slight changes, like the Miami Heretics. But several found themselves rebuilding, like the Los Angeles Thieves, or starting from scratch, like the Vegas Falcons - who now have the first fully Saudi Arabian starting roster in the CDL.

The first week of Major I qualifiers finished on Sunday, giving us our first look at the results of all the shifts in the offseason. Four teams emerged from the first week of qualifiers with a 2-0 record. The Thieves roster changes are working as they took down the always formidable FaZe and the new Cloud9. The Royal Ravens, entering their second season representing Carolina, picked on the new kids by taking down Guerriallas M8 and Vegas Falcons. Ultra triumphed over the Surge and FaZe. RØKKR rounds out the group with wins over Breach and Guerrillas M8.

Four teams sit in the middle of the pack with a 1-1 record. OpTic, the reigning CDL Champs, had a tough loss to the Breach on Friday, showing glimpses of their Search & Destroy woes last season. OpTic rallied back on Sunday, though, sweeping Cloud9 decisively. The Heretics started their season sweeping the Vegas Falcons on Saturday but lost on Sunday in a tough battle against the Surge. The Surge needed that win after they had lost to Ultra on Saturday. The final team sitting at 1-1 is the Breach, who, after taking OpTic down, lost a close match against RØKKR.

The last four teams sit at the back of the pack and are all still searching for their first win in the 2025 CDL season. The Falcons have only one map win so far, which they got in their loss to the Royal Ravens, and finished their weekend with a loss to the Heretics. Cloud9 is in a similar situation, only getting one map in their loss to the Thieves and getting swept by OpTic on Sunday. The Guerrillas M8 faired better, losing 2-3 to RØKKR and 1-3 to the Royal Ravens. The last team and most surprising addition to this group is FaZe. They have been a dominant force in the CDL since its inception but seem to be getting off to a rocky start this year. They were undefeated in qualifiers going into Major I last season.

Fans shouldn’t panic about FaZe or any of their other favorite teams, though, as we are only getting started. However, after an early evaluation, the teams that underwent considerable changes in the offseason will need some time to get situated in the league. The second week of qualifiers starts on Friday, and everyone will get another crack at positioning themselves for the winners’ bracket of Major I hosted by Toronto Ultra.

Gray Television is an investor in OpTic Gaming.