Call of Duty League Championship to be played online

Activision has announced that, after consulting with players, teams, and internal staff, the 2020 Call of Duty League Championship will be played online.

The COVID-19 risks continue with cases increasing in the US, and as such, for the safety of everyone involved, they are hosting the remainder of the season online. Dates to be announced.

Here’s Activision’s announcement:

The Call of Duty League has been working in close collaboration with teams and players over the last several months regarding the 2020 Season Playoffs and Championship Weekend. The majority of teams voted to shift the remainder of the season online due to the rising risks associated with COVID-19, and our collective priority on protecting the safety of our teams, players, league staff, and partner personnel. This decision was made with great care, communication, and consideration over the course of many discussions. 

In light of this shift, and with the 2020 Season Playoffs and Championship Weekend on the horizon, we’re revealing some of the new technology improvements and measures we will be taking to further monitor for competitive integrity:

Smile, You’re on Camera

The League is providing all competitors with a universal camera setup that will be active throughout all matches. The cameras will provide visibility for league officials to view and check each competitor’s console, controller, and monitor as needed. Once a match reaches an official ready check status, players will need to be seated and on camera. The cameras will be in place prior to the start of the New York Subliners Home Series on July 10.

Veto Power

Currently, for each CDL Home Series, teams are provided a list of three servers (from a pool of nine) to test and determine which servers they prefer to veto. During the Playoffs and Championship Weekend, we will increase the veto server options to five for each match. By adding more options, we have increased the probability of getting the best possible server for both teams. Additionally, with more servers in play for each match, there will also be more fallback options if there’s an unexpected issue.

Calling in the Reinforcements

Lastly, we’re going to bulk up our production, technical, and officiating staffing teams. We want to be ready to handle any and all issues that might crop up in an online competition environment.

More updates regarding the shift to online competition will be shared in the coming weeks. We appreciate the continued collaboration with our teams, players, and community members as we seek to deliver an amazing and safe postseason experience for all involved.