Call of Duty League moving from 5v5 to 4v4 for third season

Call of Duty League has announced that Season 2 will be played in a four-on-four format instead of the five-on-five composition that fans enjoyed in the inaugural season.

The change is big and teams will now have to choose which of their five star players won’t start next season. CoD has always been known as a four-on-four game, even before the times of Nadeshot and OpTic Gaming, so a switch back to the game’s roots might help boost the league’s popularity.

News of the change came shortly after the Dallas Empire won the first CDL championship. Several CDL players have commented on the topic, including Empire player James “Clayster” Eubanks who posted multiple takes on the change, including the impact a new format will have on teams. 

“Don’t get me wrong, CoD is far more tactical and easier to watch in 4v4. I think 4v4 is far better than 5v5,” Clayster said in a tweet. 

He also mentioned the timing of the change. Because of the repeated major changes to professional Call of Duty, from Call of Duty World League to the franchised Call of Duty League, then from five-on-five to four-on-four, it has caused a shakeup every step of the way for teams and players.

While many fans and professional players are excited for a switch back to the four-on-four format, there are some pros that are worried about being dropped from teams. There are many changes that will happen to rosters in the off-season, but fans may see their favorite player dropped out of the league due to the change. The shift to four-on-four play is inevitably going to result in a significant number of skilled players being released, something that will also potentially hurt the wallets of those who do manage to get on a team.

Call of Duty League will return next year, but it is unknown whether the League will be able to resume its city-based format or if it will continue in an online-only format for the third season.