CDL Championship 2025 smashes Call of Duty League viewership record

Image of CDL Championship 2025 trophy illuminated by lights in the background
Image credit: Call of Duty League

The Call of Duty League (CDL) Championship 2025 has become the most-watched event of the franchised era.

In addition to becoming the most-watched CDL event, Champs also became the second most-watched Call of Duty esports event in history.

According to esports data platform Esports Charts, the CDL Championship peaked at 353,525 viewers during the Grand Final between OpTic Texas and Vancouver Surge. This is highest peak viewing figures since Call of Duty esports switched to a franchise model.

Perhaps even more significant is that the CDL Championship recorded a 24% increase in viewers compared to last year’s event, which peaked at 283,184 viewers.

OpTic Texas featured in four of the five most-watched matches of the tournament, including its Grand Final victory over the Vancouver Surge, which featured in two of the five matches.

Despite the strong presence of the Green Wall in the viewing statistics, the franchise was only the second most-watched throughout the tournament. In total, OpTic Texas accumulated 1.5m viewers across the four-day event. Vancouver Surge took the top spot, with 1.8m viewers tuning into its matches.

Watch parties hosted by notable Call of Duty esports personalities and content creators also bolstered numbers. Seth ‘Scump’ Abner‘s watch party recorded a peak viewership of 173,744 viewers.

The vast majority of viewership came from YouTube, with the platform acting as the exclusive broadcaster of the CDL Championship 2025 event.

Call Of Duty’s Continued Growth

The success of the Call of Duty League Championship event is a sign that the franchised league is continuing an upward trajectory, which began with the first Major LAN of the Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 season.

Throughout the season, the league has recorded over 150,000 peak viewers across all of its online and offline matches, laying the foundations for what promises to be an exciting 2026/27 campaign.

The post CDL Championship 2025 smashes Call of Duty League viewership record appeared first on Esports Insider.

Image of OpTic Texas posing on stage after winning CDL Championship 2025
Image credit: OpTic Texas

After three days full of shocks and surprises, the Grand Final of the Call of Duty League (CDL) Championship 2025 event continued to deliver. 

OpTic Texas faced off against the Vancouver Surge in the concluding match of the Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 season, with the Texas team coming out on top after an intense back-and-forth.

A Historic Victory For OpTic Texas

After dominating the winner’s bracket, OpTic Texas emerged victorious in a thrilling final against a Vancouver Surge side looking to knock down the Green Wall.

The Green Wall kicked off proceedings on Haceinda Hardpoint, with the submachine gun pairing of Anthony ‘Shotzzy’ Cuevas-Castro and Culyer ‘Huke’ Garland spearheading the slaying department to secure the opening map of the best-of-nine series 250-151. 

Vancouver Surge responded in emphatic fashion, knocking the Green Wall down with a defiant 6-0 win on Dealership Search and Destroy to level the series at one map apiece thanks to a flawless performance from Jordan “Abuzah” François. A five-round Protocol Control eventually went in favour of OpTic Texas with a 3-2 win for a 2-1 lead. 

Vault Hardpoint was another hotly contested battle between the two sides, with OpTic Texas continuing its impressive Hardpoint record with a 250-230 victory to establish a two-map lead for the first time. 

Vancouver Surge wouldn’t go down without a fight, winning a deciding round eleven on Protocol Search and Destroy to reduce the deficit to one map over an OpTic Texas side that had excelled in respawn game modes. A turn of the tide for Vancouver Surge resulted in the team scoring a 3-2 victory to level the series once more. 

OpTic Texas immediately issued a swift reply in Haceinda Search and Destroy with a 6-2 win led by Shotzzy and some crafty underwater flanking to outwit the opposition on Call of Duty’s biggest stage to move one map away from becoming the first team of the CDL era to win back-back-champs titles.

Rewind Hardpoint would determine if OpTic Texas could close out the series or if the Vancouver Surge could turn the tide and send the series to the ninth and final map. Clinical communication combined with excellent map control gave Vancouver Surge an early advantage, but the defending champions had an answer, closing down the early lead. 

The momentum continued to build for OpTic Texas, overhauling the lead on Rewind Hardpoint to win 250-215 and to close out the series 5-3 to win the CDL Championship 2025 event. 

Historic Victory For OpTic Texas

Image of Mercules shouting while on stage at CDL Championship 2025
Image credit: Call of Duty League

This victory cements OpTic Texas’s place in the Call of Duty esports history books as the only team to win back-to-back season-ending championships. For coach Damon ‘Karma’ Barlow, the win gives him his fifth championship ring, after winning three as a player and the first as a coach in 2024.

Mason ‘Mercules’ Ramsey, the most recent addition to the lineup and a Champs winner on debut, secured the MVP award after a stellar performance in Kitchener, Canada.

Shotzzy also becomes the youngest three-time Call of Duty world champion in history, with three to his name at 23 years old. In addition to his Halo World Championship win.

For Brandon ‘Dashy’ Otell and Huke, both players earn their second championship ring after Huke won in 2020 and Dashy took home the title in 2024.

What’s Next For Call of Duty Esports?

With the CDL season concluded, attention turns to the Esports World Cup, where OpTic Texas and other CDL teams are in action for the final tournament of the Black Ops 6 cycle.

Once complete, all eyes will point towards the launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and the likely roster moves that will take place in the months ahead of its release.

The post OpTic Texas crowned 2025 Call of Duty League champions appeared first on Esports Insider.

Image of OpTic Texas standing on stage at CDL Champs 2025
Image credit: Call of Duty League

The Call of Duty League (CDL) Championship 2025 event continues to offer plenty of surprises as the third day of the season-ending tournament comes to an end. 

While OpTic Texas and Vancouver Surge managed to reach the Grand Final, Atlanta FaZe became one of the latest teams to be eliminated.

Atlanta FaZe Bested By Miami Heretics 

Image of Miami Heretics celebrating on stage at CDL Championship 2025
Image credit: Call of Duty League

The opening elimination match saw Atlanta FaZe compete against a Miami Heretics roster looking to represent Europe on Call of Duty’s biggest stage. A nail-biting Skyline Hardpoint went in favour of Miami Heretics with a 250-233 scoreline to secure the lead against a team many consider to be contending for the overall victory. 

Miami Heretics kept the ball rolling in Protocol Search and Destroy. Despite some accidental friendly fire from David ‘RenKor’ Isern, the all-Spanish lineup secured the map 6-3 to place Atlanta FaZe on the back foot heading into game three. 

After winning the first two Majors of the regular season, Atlanta FaZe attempted to bounce back in Protocol Control, but it was Miami Heretics that managed to hold strong, scoring a 3-0 victory to complete a convincing 3-0 sweep.

Vancouver Surge Wins Canadian Clash

Image of Vancouver Surge Abuzah shouting while on stage at CDL Championship 2025
Image credit: Call of Duty League

Toronto Ultra looked to keep its tournament hopes alive in an all-Canadian clash against Vancouver Surge. Vault Hardpoint went in favour of Vancouver Surge with a hard-fought 250-235 score line. Some impeccable plays from Byron ‘Nastie’ Plumridge saw Vancouver Surge pull ahead in Protocol Search and Destroy, taking the map 6-4 and a 2-0 lead over the hometown franchise. 

Even with the support of the crowd, Toronto Ultra struggled to overturn the momentum established by Vancouver Surge. Vancouver Surge swept aside Toronto Ultra 3-0 on Vault Control to wrap up the series 3-0 to send Toronto Ultra home with a top-six finish.

Having reached two Grand Finals earlier in the year, Vancouver Surge looks to have peaked at the right time as it looks to earn a place in its third.

OpTic Texas And Vancouver Surge Book Grand Final Place

The winner’s bracket final featured the seventh and eighth seeds of Boston Breach and OpTic Texas faced off for a place in the Grand Final. The Green Wall stood strong in Vault Hardpoint and dominated from the outset to secure a 250-73 victory to open proceedings. 

The team that struggled for the majority of the regular season looked like a distant memory, as OpTic Texas secured Protocol Search and Destroy with a convincing 6-1 victory, leaving Boston Breach with an impossible mountain to climb

Boston Breach showed signs of life in Hacienda Control to take the map to a deciding fifth round, but OpTic Texas held strong, taking the map 3-2 and the series 3-0 to become the first team to earn a place in the Grand Final. 

Elsewhere, Vancouver Surge battled against Miami Heretics for a place in the elimination final. Vancouver Surge outlasted the all-Spanish roster in a thrilling five-game series that went down to the wire. Vancouver Surge managed to win Red Card Search and Destroy 6-5 to eliminate a defiant Miami Heretics with a top-six placement. 

With Vancouver Surge advancing, Boston Breach would await the Canadian franchise in the elimination bracket final. Vancouver Surge opened the series with a 250-235 victory on Rewind Hardpoint for the early lead. Boston Breach equalised the series with a convincing 6-2 win on Rewind Search and Destroy, continuing its excellent form in the game mode. 

The momentum turned in favour of the Vancouver Surge once more, scoring a 3-0 sweep on Vault Control to earn a slender 2-1 series lead, putting the franchise one step away from the Grand Final. However, Boston Breach wasn’t done yet. A 250-188 win on Skyline Hardpoint was enough to force a game five. 

Vancouver Surge managed to overcome Boston Breach’s strong Search and Destroy gameplay on Red Card, taking the map 6-2 and the series 3-2 to secure the second place in the CDL Championship 2025 Grand Final.

What’s Next in CDL Championship 2025

With OpTic Texas and Vancouver Surge remaining in the tournament, the two franchises will compete in the final of the CDL Championship 2025 event for a chance to be crowned champion. 

Fans can watch the Grand Final by tuning into the CDL’s YouTube channel.

The post CDL Championship 2025 Day Three: FaZe elimnated, Vancouver Surge reaches Grand Final appeared first on Esports Insider.

Image of Carolina Royal Ravens standing on CDL Championship 2025 stage
Image credit: Call of Duty League

Day two of the 2025 Call of Duty League (CDL) Championship has concluded, and the season-ending event has continued to deliver surprise results.

Carolina Royal Ravens has become the second team to be eliminated from the tournament following Los Angeles Thieves’ shock exit from the competition.

Carolina Royal Ravens Crash Out

After showing signs of promise against Toronto Ultra in its opening match, Carolina Royal Ravens dropped into the elimination bracket to face an Atlanta FaZe side looking to make a deep run to the Grand Final.

Atlanta FaZe secured the early lead with a 250-216 victory on Hacienda Hardpoint, a match that still showcased Royal Ravens’ quality against the powerhouse franchise. Atlanta FaZe held strong in a tight Protocol Search and Destroy to win 6-5, placing the Royal Ravens on the verge of elimination.

With momentum on the side of Atlanta FaZe, a swift 3-0 win on Hacienda Control eliminated the Royal Ravens from Champs.

The Royal Ravens placed in the top eight, alongside the Los Angeles Thieves, which were the first team to crash out of the tournament. For more details on LA Thieves’ exit, check out Esports Insider’s recap of the match.

Boston Breach And OpTic Texas Advance

Image of OpTic Texas Mercules competing at CDL Championship 2025
Image credit: Call of Duty League

Elsewhere, a resurgent OpTic Texas continued its flawless start to its Champs campaign with a victory over hometown franchise Toronto Ultra.

Toronto Ultra struggled to compete against the might of the Green Wall, which dominated from the outset. A 250-87 win on Skyline Hardpoint was quickly followed up by a 6-1 win on Rewind Search and Destroy.

OpTic Texas closed out the series with a 3-0 win on Protocol Control to send Toronto Ultra into the CDL Championship 2025 elimination bracket.

After defeating LA Thieves in its opening match, Boston Breach battled Miami Heretics for a place in the winner’s bracket final. The all-Spanish roster opened the series with a hard-fought 250-238 win on Hacienda Hardpoint. Boston Breach levelled the series with a 6-2 victory on Hacienda Search and Destroy, a mode where the franchise has excelled.

Hacienda Control was another close contest between the two sides, with Boston Breach emerging victorious in round five to score a 3-2 win. However, Miami Heretics wasn’t out of it yet, winning Rewind Hardpoint 250-121 to take the series to a fifth and final map.

Protocol Search and Destroy went down to the eleventh and final round, but Boston Breach’s prowess shone through to score a 6-5 win and a 3-2 series victory.

What’s Next?

With Boston Breach and OpTic Texas advancing to the next round, the two teams will face off in the winner’s bracket final for a chance to secure a place in the Grand Final.

Meanwhile, Toronto Ultra takes on Vancouver Surge in the elimination bracket while Miami Heretics plays Atlanta FaZe. The loser of the two matches are eliminated from the tournament.

Fans can tune into day three of the CDL Championship on the league’s YouTube channel.

The post CDL Championship 2025 Day Two: Royal Ravens eliminated, OpTic marches on appeared first on Esports Insider.

Image of Los Angeles Thieves holding CDL Major trophy
Image credit: Call of Duty League

Widely considered favourites for the 2025 Call of Duty League (CDL) Championship, the Los Angeles Thieves have been eliminated early from the tournament. 

The franchise lost to Vancouver Surge in the first elimination round to suffer a swift exit from the Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 season-ending event.

Disappointment For Los Angeles Thieves

After winning two of the four regular-season Majors, Los Angeles headed into Championship Weekend as the top seed after scoring 540 CDL Points. With the top seed, the team opened its Champs campaign against Boston Breach, a franchise that spent most of the season battling for qualification. 

Despite demonstrating some impressive Hardpoint gameplay against Boston Breach, LA Thieves struggled in Search and Destroy, with its opponent outwitting any strategy to send the tournament favourites into the elimination bracket. 

Los Angeles Thieves would then battle against Vancouver Surge earlier today to keep its Champs hopes alive. Vancouver Surge kicked off proceedings with a 250-218 win on Red Card Hardpoint to put LA Thieves on the back foot immediately. The momentum continued to favour Vancouver Surge in Red Card Search and Destroy, winning 6-4 to take a surprise 2-0 lead.

A resilient effort shown by LA Thieves in game two led many to believe that the organisation could extend the series beyond three maps. However, despite its best efforts, Vancouver Surge secured Vault Control with a 3-2 score line to complete a shock 3-0 sweep.

As a result of the defeat, LA Thieves became the first team eliminated from the 2025 CDL Championship, a stark contrast from lifting the trophy.

Will LA Thieves Make A Roster Change?

With the CDL season now over for LA Thieves, several franchises are expected to make changes to their starting lineup to prepare for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7’s release. 

Treyarch’s latest instalment in Activision’s first-person shooter franchise is expected to add a range of new gameplay mechanics, which could influence the direction franchises could take when building a new roster. 

However, considering LA Thieves won two Majors this season, a potential immediate roster change is unlikely for the time being.  For LA Thieves, attention turns towards the Esports World Cup, where the team will compete under the 100 Thieves banner for an opportunity to end the year on a high.

The post Los Angeles Thieves dumped out of 2025 CDL Championship appeared first on Esports Insider.

Image of Atlanta FaZe posing in front of camera
Image credit: Atlanta FaZe

The Call of Duty League (CDL) has unveiled its Team of the Year (TOTY) as part of its Championship Weekend event. 

All four players from Atlanta FaZe were featured across the top two teams following a fan vote determining the best players from the regular season.

From Atlanta FaZe, the pairing of Chris ‘Simp’ Lehr and McArthur ‘Cellium’ Jovel qualified for the first TOTY after standout performances throughout the season. Notably, FaZe won the first two Majors with both Simp and Cellium earning an MVP award for Major 1 and Major 2, respectively.

Joining Simp and Cellium on team one is the LA Thieves duo of Paco ‘HyDra’ Rusiewiez and Thomas ‘Scrap’ Ernst. The French phenom has cemented his place as one of the top submachine gunners alongside Scrap, who is often in contention for the MVP trophy when the tournament reaches its climax.

The second TOTY includes the second Atlanta pairing Tyler ‘aBeZy’ Pharris and Zack ‘Drazah’ Jordan who played instrumental roles in the franchise’s early success in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.

Toronto Ultra’s Joeseph ‘JoeDeceives’ Romero makes the second TOTY in addition to David ‘RenKoR’ Isern from Miami Heretics. The latter has become the second European player to earn a TOTY place on the star-studded roster.

Back-to-back Accolades

For Scrap, Drazah, Cellium, and Simp, the 2025 CDL Team of the Year marks the second time they have earned a place in All-Star teams in two years, after being voted into the squads in 2024.

The CDL Team of the Year is one of the final awards distributed to players during a season of Call of Duty esports. In addition to the fan vote, the season-ending event will also award a tournament MVP and a season MVP.

Last year saw Anthony ‘Shotzzy’ Cuevas Castro of OpTic Texas take home the Champs MVP while Simp took home the season MVP award, scoring a kill-to-death ratio of 1.143 over the entirety of the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 season.   

The post Atlanta FaZe and LA Thieves dominate 2025 CDL Team of the Year appeared first on Esports Insider.

Image of CDL Championship 2025 main stage illuminated with purple light
Image credit: Call of Duty League

The opening day of the 2025 Call of Duty League (CDL) Championship has come to a close, and already, the final event of the season has caused an unlikely upset. 

Miami Heretics, Toronto Ultra, and OpTic Texas remain in the upper bracket, alongside Boston Breach, which managed to score a shock victory over the Los Angeles Thieves.

Miami Heretics Bests Vancouver Surge

Image of Miami Heretics Call of Duty League roster standing in front of camera
Image credit: Miami Heretics

The all-Spanish roster of Miami Heretics did battle against Vancouver Surge in the opening match of the event. Vancouver Surge looked to showcase its skill from the outset, securing the opening Hardpoint 250-105 to take the early series lead. Miami Heretics responded and immediately took control of the match with a 6-4 Search and Destroy victory to level the series. 

With the momentum in favour of the Spaniards, Miami Heretics secured Vault Control 3-1 before keeping the ball rolling on Hacienda Hardpoint with a 250-156 victory to secure the series by three games to one. 

Vancouver Surge isn’t out of Champs yet. The franchise falls into the elimination bracket, where it will face LA Thieves to remain in the tournament. For Miami Heretics, the franchise plays Boston Breach in the winner’s bracket semi-final. 

Boston Breach Stuns Los Angeles Thieves

Image of Boston Breach Purj posing in front of a dark background
Image credit: Boston Breach

Heading into Champs as the eighth seed, few expected Boston Breach to give the tournament favourite a run for its money. LA Thieves kicked off the series with a hard-fought win on Vault Hardpoint, but Boston Breach’s superior Search and Destroy gameplay came to fruition in game two, levelling the series with a convincing 6-2 score line. 

Breach continued to push the Major 3 and 4 winners to the limit, taking Vault Control 3-2. Los Angeles Thieves came back fighting, winning Rewind Hardpoint 250-132 to force a fifth and final map. Despite its best efforts, the Search and Destroy quality of Boston Breach shone through, winning Red Card 6-3 to send LA Thieves into the elimination bracket. 

Los Angeles Thieves now have to run the elimination bracket gauntlet in order to make another Grand Final appearance. LA Thieves play the Vancouver Surge in the first round. For Boston Breach, the eighth seed advances to the winner’s semi-finals, where Miami Heretics await.

Toronto Ultra Outlasts Defiant Carolina Royal Ravens

Image of Toronto Ultra team wearing branded hoodies while standing in front of car
Image credit: Toronto Ultra

Following two surprise results, the hometown franchise of Toronto Ultra kicked off its Champs campaign against the Carolina Royal Ravens. Ultra immediately demonstrated its Hardpoint prowess, taking the opening map with a 250-117 win. Carolina responded immediately with a 6-4 victory in game two on Dealership Search and Destroy to level the series once more. 

The Royal Ravens looked to take flight in Protocol Control, but a standout performance from Joseph ‘JoeDeceives’ Romero clipped its wings in the final seconds, winning the map 3-2 for Ultra to retake the series lead. 

Rewind Hardpoint could’ve gone either way, but Toronto Ultra held strong to win 250-230 to wrap up a 3-1 series victory. As a result, this sets up a tantalising semi-final against OpTic Texas.

OpTic Texas Sweep Aside Atlanta FaZe

OpTic Texas Shotzzy competing at Call of Duty League event. The player is wearing a headset while looking at a monitor.
Image credit: OpTic Texas

The final match of the first day saw OpTic Texas battle against longtime rivals Atlanta FaZe. A back-and-forth Hacienda Hardpoint went in favour of the Green Wall, taking a 1-0 lead with a 250-204 score line. The Green Wall continued to hold strong with a clinical 6-3 win on Protocol Search and Destroy, putting Atlanta FaZe on the verge of an early trip to the elimination bracket. 

A resurgent OpTic Texas dominated the slaying department on Hacienda Control, winning Hacienda Control 3-1 to secure a 3-0 sweep over the two-time Black Ops 6 Major winners. With FaZe facing off against Royal Ravens in the elimination bracket, OpTic advances to battle Toronto Ultra in the winner’s bracket.

What’s Next

With the round one matches concluded, attention turns to the first round of the elimination bracket and the winner’s bracket semi-finals. Day two of the CDL Championship Weekend begins at 8 PM BST. Fans can tune into the action exclusively live on the CDL YouTube channel.

The post CDL Championship 2025 Day One: Breach stuns LA Thieves, OpTic sweeps FaZe appeared first on Esports Insider.

Image of CDL Championship stage illuminated by red and purple lighting
Image credit: Call of Duty League

The biggest event of the Call of Duty esports calendar is right around the corner. After four Majors and weeks of online competition, the top eight franchises are headed to Kitchener, Canada, to compete for the Call of Duty League Championship trophy.

Since December 2024, 12 franchises have competed across online and LAN competitions, aiming to finish the regular season in the top eight positions to qualify for Championship Weekend.

Ahead of the event’s opening day of matches, Esports Insider takes a look at the first wave of matches and attempts to select the winner of an event that’s capable of springing plenty of surprises.

Vancouver Surge vs Miami Heretics

Image of Vancouver Surge competing at Call of Duty League Major
Image credit: Vancouver Surge

The 2025 edition of the CDL Championship kicks off with a mid-table clash between Vancouver Surge and Miami Heretics, two franchises that have showcased plenty of ability throughout the regular season. 

Vancouver will aim to build on two Major Grand Final appearances during the Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 season, while Miami plans to end the season on a high after scoring a top-three finish at Major 4. 

With both sides capable of contending among the best teams, there’s every chance the first series of the tournament goes all the way down to the fifth and final map. Given Miami’s recent form, Esports Insider sees the Spaniards advancing to the next round of the winner’s bracket. Meanwhile, Vancouver Surge will battle it out in the elimination bracket.

Winner: Miami Heretics 3-1

Los Angeles Thieves v Boston Breach 

Image of LA Thieves lifting CDL Major trophy on stage
Image credit: Los Angeles Thieves

For the second half of the regular season, the Los Angeles Thieves has been the team to beat after winning back-to-back Majors in April and May. For the Black Ops 6 season, LA Thieves owner Matt ‘Nadeshot’ Haag assembled a roster to compete at the very top of the league, and this season, spending big on top talent has paid off.

For Boston Breach, the regular season was a battle to remain within touching distance of the hotly contested midfield battle. Strong Major 3 qualifiers combined with a top-six finish at the Major 3 LAN wrapped up qualification. 

A Boston victory over the most recent Major winner would come as a huge shock. Considering how the Thieves has cemented itself as one of the CDL’s powerhouses, anything other than victory for Los Angeles would be regarded as a disappointment.

Winner: Los Angeles Thieves 3-0

Toronto Ultra v Carolina Royal Ravens

Image of Toronto Ultra players standing on CDL stage lit up in purple lighting
Image credit: Toronto Ultra

Having been on the verge of reaching a Major Grand Final on several occasions during the regular season, Toronto Ultra is aiming to impress in front of a hometown crowd. Top three placements at two of the four Majors were signs of the franchise moving into the CDL’s upper echelons, and a strong result in Kitchener can round off a solid season. 

The early run of form from the Carolina Royal Ravens suggested a change of fortune for the franchise, which has a roster packed with experience. Following an impressive top-four finish at Major 1, the team’s form quickly spiralled towards the bottom of the league table. Despite this, online performance and early-season results were enough to earn a Champs place for the Royal Ravens. 

This match could see Toronto Ultra dominate the opposition. However, even if this Royal Ravens side fires on all cylinders, Toronto Ultra remains the favourite.

Winner: Toronto Ultra 3-1

Atlanta FaZe v OpTic Texas

Image of Atlanta FaZe holding CDL Major 2 trophy on stage
Image credit: Atlanta FaZe

Ending the opening day is Atlanta FaZe battling against OpTic Texas in the latest chapter of the storied rivalry between FaZe Clan and OpTic Gaming. Atlanta kicked off the Black Ops 6 season with back-to-back Major victories, putting the franchise immediately in contention for Champs success. 

On the other hand, this season has been one of the most turbulent for the Green Wall, with regular roster changes and poor performances leaving the defending CDL Champions on the verge of missing out on a place in the top eight. 

With OpTic Texas looking to end the season on a high, this series has all the ingredients required to go the distance. Even with an OpTic resurgence, Atlanta’s consistency will shine through. 

Winner: Atlanta FaZe 3-1

Which Team Wins The Call of Duty Championship 2025?

With several franchises in contention to lift the Call of Duty League trophy, predicting the eventual winner is a tricky task.

The double-elimination bracket format also lends itself to franchises making deep runs in a bid for championship glory.

Having won the two most recent CDL tournaments, the Los Angeles Thieves has an excellent opportunity to secure its second CDL championship trophy.

With the likes of Atlanta FaZe, OpTic, and Toronto Ultra all capable of performing on any given day, one of the three franchises is likely to join LAThieves in the Grand Final. Although this trio knows what it takes to win, LA Thieves have the aggression and experience to overcome any opponent standing in its way in a best-of-nine series.

CDL Championship 2025 winner: Los Angeles Thieves

How To Watch CDL Championship 2025

Fans can tune into the 2025 CDL Championship by watching the action exclusively live on the Call of Duty League YouTube channel.

Alternatively, several content creators will be hosting watch parties, offering different perspectives and additional insight on the matches taking place.

The post Call of Duty League Championship 2025 preview and predictions appeared first on Esports Insider.

Image of Scump smiling next to a SCUF controller placed next to box
Image credit: SCUF Gaming

Former Call of Duty world champion Seth ‘Scump’ Abner has once again joined forces with SCUF Gaming to launch a range of new products.

The range of gaming controllers will feature an exclusive design in addition to Scump’s logo.

The new Scump design is available across SCUF’s Reflex Pro, Reflex FPS, and Envision Pro controllers. A design for the controller manufacturer’s Valor Pro and Instinct Pro models will be available at a later date.

In addition to SCUF’s extensive range of controllers, a limited-edition Reflex FPS+ model also features the design alongside Instant Action Buttons, which replace the standard buttons with mechanical switches that act like a mouse click.

As part of the collaboration between Scump and SCUF, the controllers will be integrated across Scump’s Call of Duty Championship watch parties from June 26th to 29th, 2025. During the broadcasts, a live feature showcasing the design will take place.

SCUF’s Call of Duty Commitment

SCUF Gaming is no stranger to Call of Duty esports. For several years, the controller manufacturer has partnered with several teams and players in similar collaborations to create designs available for fans to buy. In recent years, the likes of Toronto Ultra and Team Vitality have secured partnerships.

SCUF’s collaboration with Scump is one of the company’s long-standing partnerships, as the player has been associated with the brand for many years.

Scump widely regarded as one of the greatest professional Call of Duty players of all time. Having spent the majority of his career representing OpTic Gaming, the 2017 world champion retired in January 2023 and has continued to represent the organisation as a content creator.

In addition to his Champs victory, Scump remains the only esports player to have won two X Games gold medals after Call of Duty featured at the extreme sports event in 2014 and 2015.

Since retirement, Scump has continued to grow as one of Call of Duty’s biggest content creators, amassing over 2m YouTube subscribers and over 2m followers on X.

The post Scump and SCUF unveil latest collab ahead of CDL Championship appeared first on Esports Insider.

R6 Share pro team bundles collection illustration
Image credit: Ubisoft

Ubisoft has announced a new collection of Rainbow Six Siege X (R6) Share pro team bundles for fans to purchase in-game.

The collection consists of 10 bundles themed around some of the top organisations in the competitive scene, and will be available to purchase through the in-game shop.

According to the online R6 shop, a full kit costs 1680 R6 credits (£11.98/$14.98) and consists of headgear, uniform, weapon skin and an operator portrait. There are also weapon kits, which are available for 720 R6 credits (£7.99/$9.99), which only include weapon skins and the operator portrait.

According to Ubisoft, each R6 Share pro team bundle has been designed in collaboration with the organisations A portion of revenue generated from bundle purchases will go directly to these teams, with additional proceeds supporting the R6 Share affiliate programme.

These are all the R6 Share pro team bundles and their respective operators:

  • CAG Osaka – Bandit
  • Cloud9 – Dokkaebi
  • Fnatic – Mute
  • Furia Esports – Maverick
  • G2 Esports – Zero
  • Loud – Buck
  • M80 – Capitao
  • PSG Talon – Deimos
  • Spacestation gaming – Mira
  • Team BDS – Nokk

In the blog post online, Ubisoft wrote that the drop is part of a “roadmap for R6 Share in year 10.” This means that additional operator bundles will be planned in the near future, including for Season 3, and accessory bundles for Season 4.

One of the esports organisations collaborating in this event, PSG Talon, also revealed a trailer hyping up the skin releasing in R6 Share. Its Deimos bundle, alongside the other pro team skins, were launched on June 25th at 3:00 AM PST. According to the organisation, there are hidden easter eggs in the collection for dedicated fans to enjoy.

In a separate press release, PSG Talon wrote: ” This launch marks a major milestone in the ongoing partnership between PSG and TALON, now entering its second year within the Rainbow Six Siege competitive scene. The collaboration continues to push the boundaries of traditional sports and esports, uniting global fan bases through shared storytelling, iconic branding, and unforgettable content experiences.”

The post Cloud9, Fnatic and G2 Esports R6 Share pro team bundles announced appeared first on Esports Insider.