The launch weekend of the Call of Duty League (CDL) is done and dusted and we're officially underway with a new season of Call of Duty esports.
To mark the occasion, all 12 of the new franchise teams began their campaign by competing in their first two matches of the season; keeping in line with the original format that was initially implemented.
As always, with the start of a brand-new league, for a new game, there are often teething problems and the start of the CDL was no different.
In this article, we take a look back at the good and the bad from the opening weekend of Call of Duty action.
RIGHT – Improvements To Observing
The opening match of the league between the Chicago Huntsmen and the Dallas Empire was the best match to open the league with.
However, the game was extremely hard to follow due to the use of unnecessary camera shots that added little value to the experience.
Throughout the weekend, there were significant improvements to the observing of matches.
Towards the end of the weekend, it was easier to follow the action and the use of additional camera angles added great value to the viewing experience.
By the time London roles around, it's likely this process will be extremely polished and enhance the electric atmosphere.
Image via SportCentar
WRONG – Lack Of Challengers Coverage
While the franchise teams battled it out, hundreds of amateur teams were competing in the first Call of Duty Challengers event of the season.
With many recognisable names competing in the competition, not to mention a whopping $250,000 prize pool up for grabs, the only way of following the tournament was through various Twitter accounts and Periscope streams.
The final of the tournament began on the mainstage but was inadvertently moved to a side-station for the second best-of-five; even though the franchise teams were not competing until later in the day.
Considering the Challengers event was the only tournament with a substantial prize pool taking place at the weekend, the lack of coverage was extremely disappointing.
This NEEDS to change, especially with how much money is being put into the amateur scene and how detrimental it is to the growth of the community.
RIGHT & WRONG – The LA Guerrillas Ruling
During the second game between the Los Angeles Guerrillas and the Minnesota Røkkr, one of the LA players was found to be using a restricted perk during the course of the game; ultimately forfeiting their map victory.
The ruling was correct, but the real issue was a crucial flaw in Modern Warfare, which allowed a restricted perk to be selected in the first place; the perk can also be used when the Specialist bonus is earned.
Infinity Ward needs to address the issue and restrict all banned items so something like this doesn’t happen again and the competitive integrity of the league is maintained.
What Else Can Be Improved For London?
More Crowd Interaction
One of the best moments from London was how hyped the crowd would get, having a master of ceremonies that can keep the crowd alive even when the action has died down is crucial to creating a great atmosphere.
Minnesota gave it a good go, but the crowd fell flat in some big games.
A Challenger Stream
One of the best parts about the COD League is that it is an international league.
If you're heading to another region, you have a new audience to engage with.
Plenty of players from the UK and even Europe will look to compete in the London event and will bring with them a potential new fan base to the community.
Local Broadcast Talent
Europe has some incredible broadcast talent with expert knowledge on the region's star players, it would be a shame not to have them at the event dropping knowledge bombs all weekend long.
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Written byJon Nicholson@MrJonno_95
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Modern Warfare