Las Vegas, DC and Charlotte are among the markets being speculated as possible expansion destinations for Call of Duty turns on, but Commissioner Johanna Faries also does not rule out Europe from getting into the mix, reports Adam Stern of the Sports Business Journal. Although Faries does not confirm or deny that US markets are at stake, she tells SBJ that “it is fair to assume that we are hearing interest not only from American outbreaks, but also across the pond in Europe and beyond.”
The CDL is entering its second season with 12 teams, but has decided not to expand to 2021 amid the pandemic. Faries recognized SBJ in Augustthat Activision Blizzard Esports was in talks with potential investors about buying the league. Previous slots cost $ 25 million, but it was unclear whether the price would be the same for the new franchises.
Faries took an optimistic tone about the upcoming CDL season, which is featured in the franchise alongside 100 thieves enter the LA market and NRG’s Chicago Huntsmen renamed as Optic Chicago. On the gameplay side, the biggest changes will be 4v4 instead of 5v5 and teams playing now Black Ops Cold War on PCs. All events will remain online only for the start of the season.
“The pandemic had many blessings and many curses in the same way as most leagues in other sports and electronic sports,” she said. “It strengthened us in certain ways, now we have the ability to breathe, assess what went well and what didn’t go so well and need improvement and apply some of that to the 2021 experience, so I think fans will see a lot more from us, even in an online environment. “
Faries says she is taking advantage of her new role as vice president and league director for Activision Blizzard Esports, which makes her work closely with Activision Blizzard’s new president of sports and entertainment, Tony Petitti.
