Recap of the First Half of Major II Qualifiers and the Seeding for CDL Minor II

(Gray News) - The Call of Duty League’s (CDL) Major II qualifiers reached their halfway point last weekend. Several teams have found themselves higher in the qualifier standings this time around, whereas others have possibly fallen from grace. The CDL is a tough league to stay consistent in, and the few teams that have managed to do so have earned the respect and derision of many a fan.

One such team is OpTic Texas. They are the reigning 2024 World Champions, a title that does not perfectly reflect their recent achievements. OpTic was the number one seed going into Major I, thanks to a 6-1 match record in Major I qualifiers. However, they exited Major I after losing to the Carolina Royal Ravens in the second round of the elimination bracket.

OpTic now ranks 11th in Major II qualifying with a 0-3 match record. The only reason they aren’t in last is because the Vegas Falcons, a team that still hasn’t won a series this season, have one more loss. To add insult to injury, OpTic hasn’t won a single map in Major II qualifiers. They have been swept by their opponent in every series, with the Carolina Royal Ravens being the most recent culprit. A feat even the Falcons haven’t managed.

While this may sound like an indictment, it’s more about laying out the facts as they stand due to intrigue in their current situation. OpTic have hit rough patches before, like going 1-6 in the Major IV qualifiers last season and losing out in the first round of said Major. But they usually bounce back quickly, like going undefeated in last year’s Major V qualifiers. OpTic has been a stalwart in the CDL and has one of the most passionate fan bases in all of the CDL. It’s hard to imagine they will stay down for long, but it’s an essential note with Minor II this weekend, and Major II still looming large on the horizon.

The Vancouver Surge, Cloud9 New York, and the Minnesota RØKKR are all facing a very different scenario. All three of these teams finished in the bottom half of qualifiers going into Major I, but have found their way into the top four of Major II qualifiers. Most notable is Cloud9, who were 11th in Major I qualifiers, and now sit 3rd in Major II qualifiers—a massive turn around for a team in their inaugural season. The Surge are currently undefeated in Major II qualifiers, and the RØKKR are enjoying their 4th place position compared to their 10th place finish in Major I qualifiers.

Teams that are struggling compared to their Major I qualifiers performance are the Royal Ravens, Boston Breach, and Toronto Ultra. All of these teams have a 2-2 record in Major II qualifying, and none of them lost more than two series in Major I qualifying for reference. It’s not the end of the world for these teams, but it does indicate that this season may not have as many defined standout teams as previous seasons.

Only two teams stand head and shoulders above the rest. Despite a slow start in Major I qualifiers, Atlanta FaZe has won the only two tournaments this year. The Los Angeles Thieves made Grand Finals at Major I and are currently undefeated in Major II qualifiers. These two will be the teams to beat going into Minor II this weekend.

The current regular season standings decided the seeding for Minor II. The top four teams will skip the first round, while the eight remaining teams will duke it out from the start.

Current regular season standings and seeding for Minor II in order from first to last place:

• Atlanta FaZe
• Los Angeles Thieves
• Carolina Royal Ravens
• Toronto Ultra
• Minnesota RØKKR
• Miami Heretics
• OpTic Texas
• Vancouver Surge
• Boston Breach
• Cloud9 New York
• Los Angeles Guerrillas M8
• Vegas Falcons

Minor II is a single-elimination bracket that starts on Friday, February 28th. Once the tournament begins, the official CDL YouTube channel will stream the matches live.

Gray Television is an investor in OpTic Gaming.