Following the closure of the 2022 CDL season, Activision has stepped up and dropped dates for the opening of the 2023 season. It was revealed, along with a selection of ‘roster construction rules’, that the Call of Duty League 2023 season will officially open on August 22nd, 2022. In an express statement, Activision confirmed that any player contracts not extended by August 21st, 2022, will expire and the players will become ‘free agents’.
Once the 22nd of August arrives, all free agents are permitted to enter into new contracts with any team taking part in the Call of Duty League. It’s the official opening of what Call of Duty fans fondly refer to as ‘rostermania’, with many players flying around the board, changing their allegiances at the drop of a hat. It doesn’t end there for players already signed with a team, as at this point, those competitors are allowed to ‘negotiate any amendments with their team’.
LA Thieves likely won’t be changing its roster anytime soon.
As a key part of the update released by Activision, several rules were outlined regarding the construction of rosters heading into the 2023 CDL season. For instance, contracts can range from one to three years, and the minimum CDL player salary is $55,225. Furthermore, all teams participating in the Call of Duty League are required to provide health care and retirement benefits. As we go into the 2023 CDL season, players will also be entitled to ‘at least’ 50% of all prize pool earnings.
For short-term changes, 14-day contract options do exist, but a player can only sign two 14-day contracts with the same team. If a third needs to be signed, then the player is simply signed fully to that particular team. There will also be a ‘two-way player designation’ that allows players to compete in both the CDL and the Call of Duty Challengers circuit. However, to avoid a power play, no more than two ‘two-way players’ can fight for the same team at the same time in Challengers.
At present, there are some teams that are expected to make no changes at all. For instance, this year’s COD Champs winners, LA Thieves, and the consistently high-performing team that is Atlanta FaZe.
There are rumours circulating that the Call of Duty League 2023 season will begin much sooner than in recent years. If there’s one key issue with the CDL, it’s that it tends to start too late, months after the launch of the annual Call of Duty title. By that time, the ‘hype’ surrounding the game has died out a little, and fewer people will be interested in the Call of Duty League as a result.
However, as one of just three top-tier Call of Duty tournaments, the Call of Duty League does tend to remain popular by default.
When Modern Warfare II launches on the 28th of October, it’s expected to bring with it a ranked play mode that will drop relatively early on. It’s a key, foundational mode within Call of Duty these days, and players are often hungry to unlock it as soon as possible. Should Activision give the green light to commence the Call of Duty League 2023 season very shortly after Modern Warfare II drops, it’ll likely be a much more popular affair.
Traditionally, by the time the Call of Duty League season begins, every spot has been uncovered, every weapon mastered, and every tactic ironed out. If the CDL launches earlier, and we’re talking weeks after the launch of Modern Warfare II, viewers will be seeing the learning process behind the game unfolding before their very eyes.
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