Call of Duty Championship (CoD Champs / CDL)
The Pinnacle Million-Dollar Stage for Console First-Person Shooter Esports
Inaugurated in 2013 by Activision with Black Ops II, the Call of Duty Championship (now the CDL Championship) is console gaming's most lucrative competitive arena, awarding championship rings.
The Million-Dollar Black Ops II Dawn
Debuting in Hollywood in April 2013 on Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Activision created the benchmark for controller-based shooter esports with a $1,000,000 purse. Fariko Impact captured the inaugural crown, establishing a grand tradition that elevated legends like Seth 'Scump' Abner, Ian 'Crimsix' Porter, and Damon 'Karma' Barlow to household gaming fame.
City Franchising and The Call of Duty League
In 2020, Activision converted the circuit into the city-based Call of Duty League (CDL), with ownership groups acquiring multi-million-dollar team slots representing Dallas, Atlanta, London, and Los Angeles. CDL Championship Weekend remains console esports' loudest live spectacle.