With final leg of the Call of Duty League just over the horizon, the Call of Duty League revealed the Stage 5 Groups on Friday. These groups will help decide each team’s fate before the season concludes with CDL Championships.
The make up of each group is more important than ever this time, as teams are vying for spots in the standings due to the impact it has on the CDL Champs bracket. If the groups are imbalanced, it could be easier for certain teams to secure more advantageous positions during Champs.
CDL Stage 5 groups
The following teams will represent Group A in Stage 5:
- Atlanta FaZe
- OpTic Chicago
- New York Subliners
- LA Thieves
- Paris Legion
- London Royal Ravens
The following teams will represent Group B in Stage 5:
- Dallas Empire
- Toronto Ultra
- Minnesota ROKKR
- Florida Mutineers
- LA Guerrillas
- Seattle Surge
Presenting the official groups for #CDL2021 Stage V.
Group 🅰:@ATLFaZe@OpTicCHI@LAThieves@Subliners
@ParisLegion@RoyalRavensGroup 🅱:@DallasEmpire@TorontoUltra@ROKKR@Mutineers@LAGuerrillas@SeattleSurge pic.twitter.com/t3SepIO8jV
— Call of Duty League (@CODLeague) June 25, 2021
At first glance, one group that seems more talented than the other. Group A is stacked with four potential teams to claim the top two spots, with Atlanta FaZe the easy favorite to finish first. Part of the reason for this lopsided distribution of talent is the Dallas Empire wanted to be grouped with the Toronto Ultra.
The two squads are currently second and third, respectively, in the overall standings. Dallas coach Ray “Rambo” Lussier stated he wanted “the fight for second on our side,” as the Empire and Ultra are now guaranteed one matchup for those all-important CDL Points. This gave other teams the chance to send tougher opponents to Group A.
There are certainly some intriguing storylines to follow aside from the race in the standings. Most notably, two new rosters, both hailing from LA, are set to take the stage for the first time in Stage 5. All of the action collides for the first time on Thursday, July 1 with the Seattle Surge Home Series.
