CDL Major IV represents the Last Chance at a Major Win and to make the CDL Postseason

(Gray News) - The Call of Duty League’s (CDL) Major IV, hosted by DreamHack, marks the end of the 2025 regular season and the last chance for teams to make or solidify their spot in the postseason. CDL Major IV starts Friday and will take place in Dallas, Texas. Teams will compete for a trophy, the lion’s share of a prize pool, and CDL points. It would not be surprising for some to assume that the trophy and cash earnings a win would bring are the main goal for teams this weekend. But for four teams, the CDL points mean just as much.

Not every team will make the postseason; the deciding factor is the amount of CDL points a team collects during the regular season. The top eight teams in points will pack their bags for Champs, while the remaining four will end their season this weekend. Two teams have a slim chance at making it into the top eight this weekend. Two other teams are on the cutline, trying to hold off their last desperate attempt. So whole are they, and when do they play?

Winners Round One Match Schedule for Friday, May 23rd:

• 1:30 PM EST / 12:30 PM CST / 10:30 PM PST:
  • Miami Heretics vs. Minnesota RØKKR
  • Los Angeles Thieves vs. Vancouver Surge
• 3 PM EST / 2 PM CST / 12 PM PST:
  • Atlanta Faze vs. Cloud9 New York
  • OpTic Texas vs. Toronto Ultra

The Minnesota RØKKR currently sit 9th in the season-long points race. They are 40 points behind OpTic Texas, who currently sit in 8th place. The RØKKR must finish Major IV in fourth place or above to overtake OpTic in points. But for that to fully work, OpTic can’t earn a single point at Major IV. OpTic has failed to surpass the 7th place tie at any Major this season, so ideally, the RØKKR would need to finish 3rd or above to give them some leeway. All of this conjecture of future outcomes aside, RØKKR still need to make it past the Miami Heretics on Friday as a first step.

The Heretics went undefeated in qualifiers and finished 4th at Major III. They’re no slouch. The RØKKR have yet to surpass a 5th-place tie at a Major this season. The RØKKR need to stay in the Winner’s bracket as long as possible to give themselves the best shot at a postseason appearance, so look for this match to be a gritty one.

Cloud9 New York currently sits 10th in the points race, 50 points back. To overtake OpTic, they must also finish 3rd or higher at Major IV. But that comes with the same caveats as RØKKR, plus factoring in having to leapfrog RØKKR. Cloud9 has a non-zero chance at making the playoffs, relying on the slimmest of margins. One especially bleak factor is that they are facing Atlanta FaZe on Friday.

FaZe has won two out of the three Majors so far this season. Cloud9’s best finish was a tie for 5th at Major II. Anything can happen on LAN, but this long shot may be worth avoiding in terms of a bet.

OpTic Texas represents the playoff cutline going into Major IV. They have a solid margin built up, but can’t get complacent. The reigning World Champs have failed to show up at every Major so far this season, and if they don’t buck the trend, they may lose the chance to defend their title. Toronto Ultra are formidable opponents and won’t roll over because their postseason is secure. They’ll want to add a Major trophy to their collection, and OpTic is just a step on that path for them. This series is a can’t-miss for CDL fans.

Elimination Round One Schedule for Friday, May 23rd:

• 4:30 PM EST / 3:30 PM CST / 1:30 PM PST:
  • Boston Breach vs. (Winner of Heretics vs. RØKKR)
  • Vegas Falcons vs. (Winner of Thieves vs. Surge)
• 6 PM EST / 5 PM CST / 3 PM PST:
  • Los Angeles Guerrillas M8 vs. (Winner of FaZe vs. Cloud9)
  • Carolina Royal Ravens vs. (Winner of OpTic vs. Ultra)
• 7:30 PM EST / 6:30 PM CST / 4:30 PM PST:
  • Winners of the 4:30 PM EST matches begin Elimination Round Two

Boston Breach is the fourth team that falls under pressure in the postseason race. They currently sit in 7th place and are 25 points ahead of OpTic. RØKKR would need a 2nd place finish or higher to surpass the Breach. Cloud9 would only tie the Breach with a second-place finish; they would need to win Major IV to surpass the Breach in the points race as the points stand now. Cloud9’s slim chance of making the postseason is equivalent to the Breach’s slim chance of missing the postseason. The Breach are only in this discussion because of where they are starting Major IV.

The Breach are starting Major IV in the elimination bracket, which means one loss, and they are out of this weekend’s tournament. That doesn’t bode well for widening their point lead. The other thing of note is that either the RØKKR’s first victim or the RØKKR themselves will be the Breach’s first opponent at Major IV. If the Breach loses on Friday, they will further strengthen RØKKR and Cloud9’s chances at a playoff berth. Fans should set an alert for this series.

CDL Major IV is set for a weekend of drama and excitement with the pressures of a season being on the line. While some teams are focused on staying alive for one more tournament in 2025, everyone is chasing the trophy this weekend. Grand Finals will decide the winner on Sunday, May 25th at 6 PM EST / 5 PM CST / 3 PM PST. Watch all of the action live on the official CDL YouTube Channel. Coverage should start 30 minutes before the first match of each day.

Gray Television is an investor in OpTic Gaming.