CDL Championship Weekend is back to decide who will be crowned the 2025 CDL World Champion
(Gray News) - Summer is officially in full swing, and that can only mean that another Call of Duty League (CDL) World Championship needs to be decided. Teams have been competing all season for the chance to participate in the tournament this weekend. Eight teams out of 12 in the CDL make it to Champs each year.
To determine who makes the cut, the CDL distributes CDL points throughout the regular season based on teams’ performances in qualifying, Minor Tournaments, and Major Tournaments. Tournament wins net the most points, with a tiered structure of declining point values: the lower a team places, the fewer points it earns. The tie for last place nets zero points. Teams could also earn points for every win they had during the various weeks of Major qualifying throughout the season. With such a performance-based metric, teams must avoid falling into slumps and capitalize on their hot streaks. So, who braved the regular season and finished in the top eight of the points race?
| FINAL STANDING/ SEED | TEAM NAME | FINAL POINT TOTAL | REGULAR SEASON PODIUM FINISHES |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles Thieves | 540 | Major III Champion Major IV Champion Minor II Champion Major I 2nd Place |
| 2 | Atlanta FaZe | 505 | Major I Champion Major II Champion Minor I Champion Major IV 2nd Place |
| 3 | Toronto Ultra | 370 | Major II 3rd Place Major III 3rd Place |
| 4 | Vancouver Surge | 330 | Major II 2nd Place Major III 2nd Place Minor II 2nd Place |
| 5 | Miami Heretics | 295 | Major I 3rd Place Major IV 3rd Place |
| 6 | Carolina Royal Ravens | 220 | Minor I 2nd Place |
| 7 | OpTic Texas | 220 | |
| 8 | Boston Breach | 200 |
Two teams, the Los Angeles Thieves and Atlanta FaZe, clearly dominated tournament play this season, as neither were beaten by any other team in a Grand Finals during the 2025 season. Only two other teams even made it to a Grand Finals this season. The Carolina Royal Ravens had their singular shot at the first tournament of the season, Minor I, but lost to FaZe. The Vancouver Surge have appeared in three grand finals this season, losing to the Thieves twice and FaZe once. As the 2025 season has followed a pattern of pairs, only two other teams have managed to secure a podium finish during the regular season. The Toronto Ultra came in third at Majors II and III, while the Miami Heretics came in third at Majors I and IV. It’s not surprising, then, that these six teams comprise the top six seeds at the 2025 CDL World Championship. So, who will play who?
Match Schedule for Thursday, June 26th:
- Miami Heretics vs. Vancouver Surge: 3 PM EST / 2 PM CST / 12 PM PST
- Boston Breach vs. Los Angeles Thieves: 4:30 PM EST / 3:30 PM CST / 1:30 PM PST
- Carolina Royal Ravens vs. Toronto Ultra: 6 PM EST / 5 PM CST / 3 PM PST
- OpTic Texas vs. Atlanta FaZe: 7:30 PM EST / 6:30 PM CST / 4:30 PM PST
Today is the first slate of matches for Champs. All eight teams will start in the winner’s bracket and, based on their performance today, will take one of two paths. If they lose, they will fall to the elimination bracket, where every match of the tournament could be their last. If they win, they will advance to the second round of the winner’s bracket, maintaining a one-match buffer from elimination and a chance to make the Winner’s Final.
In terms of who was the best shot at continuing to the second round of the winner’s bracket, unsurprisingly, it’s the top two seeds.
The Thieves play first, and they get the Boston Breach in round one. The Breach are the eighth seed while the Thieves are number one. It seems pretty cut and dry which team should move on in the winner’s bracket. However, there is a slight wrinkle that fans should take into consideration. This exact match has already happened earlier in the season. At Major II, both teams were seeded exactly as they are now and matched in the first round of the winner’s bracket, just as they are now—the winner of that series…the Boston Breach. The Breach’s season-long record against the Thieves is 2-2. The Thieves have better odds in this one, but everyone should avoid claiming it’s a sure thing.
Atlanta FaZe takes on OpTic Texas to close out today’s matches. FaZe has a 4-0 season-long record against OpTic. OpTic’s season has been unusual in that they looked impressive in the Major I qualifiers and then failed to advance past the second round of the elimination bracket at the actual tournament. They hadn’t made it past that round at any Major until the final major of the regular season. They placed 4th at Major IV and secured their spot at Champs. But, to be honest, that doesn’t feel like they’re catching fire, but instead, more of a glimpse of life from the defending World Champs. FaZe is the favorite for a reason in this one, but this rivalry has created some dramatic moments in esports, so don’t be surprised if OpTic manages to flip the script.
If these two series end up being the one-sided blowouts they have the potential to be, look to the Heretics versus the Surge. They have only faced each other twice this season, and the Surge is undefeated against the Heretics. That sounds like the makings of another blowout, but these teams are neck and neck in the seeding and are the toss-up of the day.
It’s a similar story in the case of the Royal Ravens and the Ultra. But, the Ultra have a 3-1 record over the Royal Ravens, and the Ultra also have a better tournament performance record than the Royal Ravens. It’s hard to call this one a toss-up, but it’s a lot closer to that than a blowout, so fans shouldn’t miss it.
To watch all of the excitement and drama unfold, tune into the official CDL YouTube Channel. Coverage should start 30 minutes before the first match every day this weekend.
Gray Television is an investor in OpTic Gaming.
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