The Final Week of the CDL Major IV Qualifiers starts Friday

(Gray News) - The Call of Duty League (CDL) Major IV qualifiers are coming to a close this weekend, finalizing the seeding for CDL Major IV in Dallas, Texas. CDL points are on the line in a big way as Major IV is the last chance for teams to make a noticeable jump in the points list. 10 CDL points are awarded to the winner of each qualifying match, and a win at a Major nets a team 100 CDL points. The top 8 teams at the end of the regular season points race qualify for the postseason, while the remaining four teams must start their offseason early.

OpTic Texas currently sit in the hot seat, 25 points behind 7th place and 40 points ahead of 9th place. OpTic will represent the postseason cutoff line going into Major IV, as there are not enough CDL points up for grabs this weekend to shift them out of their current standing in 8th place. That doesn’t mean the teams sitting below the cutoff won’t scrap for every point they can get this weekend. So let’s look at what matches we have this weekend, and who might need those points more.

Schedule for Friday, May 16th:

• OpTic Texas vs. Los Angeles Guerrillas M8 - 3 PM EST / 2 PM CST / 12 PM PST
• Carolina Royal Ravens vs. Minnesota RØKKR - 4:30 PM EST / 3:30 PM CST / 1:30 PM PST
• Boston Breach vs. Los Angeles Thieves - 6 PM EST / 5 PM CST / 3 PM PST

Friday’s first match only matters for one team: OpTic Texas. The Los Angeles Guerrillas M8 could win their remaining two series in qualifying and Major IV, and still wouldn’t have enough points to get into the postseason. Their fate is sealed. OpTic, on the other hand, represents the ever-present entry barrier for Champs. They have struggled this season and have been constantly reevaluating their roster, but now they are poised for a top 4 seed in Major IV if they win out this weekend. OpTic are starting to trend at the right time, as failing to be competitive at Major IV could sign their ticket to an early offseason.

The Carolina Royal Ravens and the Minnesota RØKKR are part of the Major IV qualifiers’ 1-2 match record bottleneck. The Royal Ravens are 55 points ahead of OpTic and currently sit 6th in the points race. RØKKR, on the other hand, sit 40 points behind OpTic in 10th place. RØKKR need this win in a bad way. Not only would it get them 10 points, but it would leapfrog them over the Royal Ravens in Major IV seeding, potentially knocking the Royal Ravens out of a winner’s bracket start.

Friday’s final match is between the Boston Breach and the Los Angeles Thieves. The Thieves are currently leading the points race and have no worries regarding the postseason. The Breach sit in 7th place and are only 25 points ahead of OpTic. The Breach are also in the 1-2 match record bottleneck, and are currently outside a winner’s bracket start at Major IV. They need this win to have a chance at a winner’s bracket start and to make it harder for OpTic to jump ahead of them in the points list.

Schedule for Saturday, May 17th:

• Vegas Falcons vs. Atlanta FaZe - 3 PM EST / 2 PM CST / 12 PM PST
• Cloud9 New York vs. Los Angeles Thieves - 4:30 PM EST / 3:30 PM CST / 1:30 PM PST
• Miami Heretics vs. Carolina Royal Ravens - 6 PM EST / 5 PM CST / 3 PM PST
• Toronto Ultra vs. Vancouver Surge - 7:30 PM EST / 6:30 PM CST / 4:30 PM PST

The kickoff match for Saturday doesn’t bear much weight in the overall CDL picture. Atlanta FaZe are tied with the Thieves at the top of the points race, and the Vegas Falcons are dead last. Both teams already have their postseason destiny decided, and everything from here out is peanuts. FaZe should win this match.

Saturday’s second match matters for both teams, but in different ways. The Thieves need a win to solidify their chances at a winner’s bracket start at Major IV. Cloud9 New York needs a win to narrow the point gap between them and OpTic, as they are currently 9th in the standings and 40 points back. A win would also guarantee a winner’s bracket start at Major IV. Cloud9 has more riding on this series, but the Thieves will be a challenging hurdle to overcome.

The Miami Heretics and the Royal Ravens are neck and neck in the season-long points race, but are in different places when it comes to seeding for Major IV. The Heretics are undefeated in Major IV qualifiers and are assured a top-four seed. The Royal Ravens are stuck in the 1-2 logjam. The Royal Ravens need the win more, but the Heretics are in incredible form. Don’t miss this series, as it should be a close fight.

Saturday’s final match should also be a close battle as Toronto Ultra and the Vancouver Surge are 3rd and 4th in the season-long points race, respectively. Like Saturday’s third match, one team, Ultra, is currently undefeated, while the other, the Surge, is trying to escape a pile-up. Saturday may start slowly, but this match and the previous one should deliver for those who stick around.

Schedule for Sunday, May 18th:

• Los Angeles Guerrillas M8 vs. Boston Breach - 3 PM EST / 2 PM CST / 12 PM PST
• Toronto Ultra vs. OpTic Texas - 4:30 PM EST / 3:30 PM CST / 1:30 PM PST
• Minnesota RØKKR vs. Vancouver Surge - 6 PM EST / 5 PM CST / 3 PM PST

The Guerrillas M8 and the Breach start Sunday’s slate of matches, and the only genuine interest in this match is to see which bracket the Breach end up in. If they win on Friday and Sunday, they’re through to the winner’s bracket. Lose both and they’re in the loser’s bracket. If they go 1-1, they must rely on other results to decide their fate.

Toronto Ultra takes on OpTic Texas in Sunday’s penultimate series. Ultra is already guaranteed a spot in the winner’s bracket, so they won’t have much to worry about in this series. If OpTic fails to show up on Friday, then this series will hold a lot more weight in terms of seeding for them. OpTic could slide into the loser’s bracket if they don’t win. OpTic will be riding a razor’s edge through the rest of the regular season, so don’t miss a match if they’re involved.

The RØKKR and the Surge close out Major IV qualifiers on Sunday. This series could shake up the seedings for both teams, depending on how their previous matches go this weekend. They are both in the 1-2 logjam, so if they come into this series at 1-3, it could determine who gets a winner’s bracket spot. It’s the same scenario if they both go into the series with a 2-2 record. Time will tell with this series, but expect the Surge to have the edge in this matchup.

This weekend’s CDL matches will stream live on the official CDL YouTube Channel. Coverage should start 30 minutes before the first match each day.

Gray Television is an investor in OpTic Gaming.