In anticipation of the next season of the Call of Duty League, the CDL has adjusted its gun bans and map pools by banning tactical rifles and adding Raid to various modes.
Competitive Call of Duty fans are eagerly awaiting news about the upcoming CDL season after months of off-season uncertainty. With lists approaching the end and the league expected to start sometime in early 2021, it appears that the set of competitive rules is being phased out.
In a January 7 update to the Competitive Settings V1.1 page, the league replaced three maps in Hardpoint, Search & Destroy and Control. Separately, they decided to ban all four BOCW tactical rifles from the competitive game (the Type 63, M16, AUG and DMR 14).
These changes should bring the game closer to the level of competition that fans and professionals expect. Disabling what many consider to be overpowered tactical rifles (like the M16 in particular) while replacing maps with the newly added Raid are two strong tweaks.
BO2 classic Raid is back in CoD and the professional scene.
As explained in Competitive configurations section of the CDL website, Raid is finally being officially added to Hardpoint, SND and Control. This is delightful news for contestants and their followers, as the iconic map featured in Black Ops II became an instant favorite after its Cold War debut on December 16, 2020.
Changes to CDL’s competitive configurations
Maps and modes
- Hardpoint: Cartel Removed, Raid Added
- Search & Destroy: Removed Crossroads, Added Raid
- Control: Moscow removed, Raid added
Weapon restrictions
- Added all tactical rifles (Type 63, M16, AUG, DMR 14) to the banned list
Although subject to change as the season approaches, these adjustments leave us with five Hardpoint maps, five SND maps and three control maps.
As for weapons, professionals are now restricted to assault rifles, machine guns and sniper rifles as their primary weapons – following in the footsteps of the inaugural season’s Modern War ruleset.
The M16 kills people quickly, but it won’t do it at the CDL.
When BOCW was officially launched on November 13, fans and players on the competitive scene were immediately concerned about the power of the M16 and the size of the maps. For weeks, scrims have had no tactical rifle and limit playing time on the two largest maps: Miami and Moscow.
With these changes, Miami remains limited to SND only and Moscow is now only present in two modes: Hardpoint and SND. Instead, Raid’s presence in all three modes confirms that there will be a balanced medium-sized map with which professionals are already well acquainted. As we approach the season, we will continue to monitor changes to the set of rules as we update fans here and on DexertoIntel.