Throughout this week, Call of Duty League teams have started to scrimmage on several DLC maps, in an effort to replace existing maps in the rotation.
Since the Stage 1 Major ended in the Call of Duty League, the scene has begun to change. From the Toronto Ultra benching Anthony “Methodz” Zinni, to the players banning the XM4 rifle, the drama is flaring up left and right. However, the scene doesn’t look finished with mixing things up.
According to several pro players’ streams and tweets, the Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War maps Apocalypse and Express could soon enter the rotation. Of course, this likely means one or two of the current maps are on the way out.
CDL maps to be replaced for Stage 2?
The new maps began to see scrimmage time in the middle of the week. The first noticeable scrimmage to play out was between OpTic Chicago and the L.A. Thieves on Wednesday, March 10. Hardpoint was the mode of the choice for the Apocalypse map, but Search and Destroy and Control on Express were also spotted.
In regards to Apocalypse Hardpoint, OpTic player Seth “Scump” Abner claimed the map played well and other teammates agreed, saying it was enjoyable. From watching the scrimmage between Chicago and L.A., Apocalypse seemed to flow nicely and had relatively decent player spawns, which is a huge factor in Hardpoint.
While nothing is official in terms of the map’s addition to the CDL map pool, teams appear to be confident that it’s going to be in the rotation for Stage 2. Streams and tweets posted on Thursday evening, indicate that Crossroads Hardpoint might be the map/mode combination to leave.
Although this might solve the Hardpoint dilemma, it’s still unclear if the Search and Destroy or Control maps will be touched at all. Express, the classic map from Black Ops 2, is a popular choice for promotion, but the CDL has said nothing on the matter.
With the players as confident as they are, it seems that at least Apocalypse Hardpoint will make its debut during Stage 2. We’ll know for sure on March 18, when the Toronto Ultra Home Series begins.
