The yet to be named Call of Duty (CoD) eSports league has officially capped its Season 1 membership at just 12 teams, down from the initially speculated 16.
The teams – based in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Florida, London, Minnesota, New York, Paris, Seattle, Toronto and two based in Los Angeles – will begin to play in their respective home markets in 2020, further anchoring the Activision Blizzard vision of building competitive gaming franchises to specific markets.
“Our goal for the future of Call of Duty eSports was to partner with ownership groups who are committed to bringing the next professional sports teams to their cities and building a community of home market fans. We found those partners and the 2020 Call of Duty eSports League is officially locked with 12 teams. We are proud to select the best 12 teams from 11 markets and four countries that will represent Call of Duty eSports and bring epically entertaining competition to millions of fans around the world,” said Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard.
While some franchises will carry over from the now-closed Call of Duty World League (CWL), most franchise owners are not new to the market. Ten of the twelve owners have current teams in the Overwatch League, while WISE Ventures – backed by the owners of the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings – is completely new to eSports altogether. It makes sense for experienced owners to buy in on CoD, they have the vision that Activision Blizzard wants when it comes to building a fan base in a home market.
“We just like the symmetry, first of all, with how Overwatch League had done in its first year and we really wanted to focus on North America and Europe to start and really grow from there.”, Johanna Faries, Commissioner of the Call of Duty League, said in a recorded interview. Faries went on to say “I feel like it was a really nice blend and balance of operational know-how from an Overwatch League perspective, know-how from a Call of Duty eSports perspective, and then a know-how from a traditional sports background. Faries had formerly worked for the NFL as its Vice President to Club Business Development.
The newly formed League has yet to reveal its schedule or format. While teams will begin to play in their home markets, it is unknown at this time if teams will travel to a designated host city for a series of matches. While the Overwatch League partnered with Twitch for media rights, receiving an estimated $90 million for the rights, it is unknown what the scope of the rights will be for Call of Duty. While not confirmed, it is assumed that the League will begin their inaugural season on the latest installment, Modern Warfare. News should come quickly, especially with the release less than a month away.
“We, as a league, are tremendously excited by how Modern Warfare is already seeming to take hold, and what it will mean for the entire eSports ecosystem,” Faries said. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is set to release Oct. 25 on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.
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