Call of Duty returns to California for the 2018 CWL Anaheim open

The Call of Duty competitive season is in full swing, with the 2018 CWL Pro League Stage 2 underway. This competition started on May 15 and brought together 16 of the best CoD teams in the world. While everyone is focused on the matches scheduled in May, another important tournament was announced for mid-June. The 2018 CWL Anaheim Open is one of the most popular events dedicated to the first-person shooter in California. In 2017 Luminosity Gaming won the event in a final played against Splyce.

© Activision Publishing, Inc.

2018 CWL Anaheim Open is set to begin on June 15 and conclude three days later on June 17. The participating teams will compete in several high profile Call of Duty: World War II matches. This is the sixth and one of the most popular major international offline events dedicated to CoD. The organizers decided not to make significant changes to the tournament format and instead use the same structure as last year. The fans can expect teams of the same caliber to fight for a share of a massive prize pool.

More than 160 Teams to Participate in the 2018 CWL Anaheim Open

In the open bracket stage of 2018 CWL Anaheim Open the organizers expect a field of competitors that will include more than 160 teams. Only the top eight squads will walk away with cash, so the race for the top starts early and promises to be really exciting. Participants from the North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific regions will try to survive this stage of the competition and the double elimination system.

Matches will be played in a best-of-three series, which keeps them short enough, while still being meaningful. In the final stage of the winners and losers brackets teams will play up to five matches or until somebody wins three games. The challenge is to qualify for Pool Play and only the top four most successful teams in the Winners Bracket will make it. Meanwhile, the top four teams in the Losers Bracket with secure a place in the Championship Bracket Losers Round 1.

The Best 20 Teams Race for $200,000

When Pool Play begins, only 20 teams will still be left in the competition and they will be split into four identical groups. They will include the Top 12 CWL Global Pro League Season 1 teams, four teams qualifying from the open bracket and the best four CWL Global Pro League Relegation teams. During this stage of the competition all games will be played in a best-of-five series. From each group, two teams will advance to the Championship Bracket Winners Round 1.

© Activision Publishing, Inc.

Nobody is eliminated from the group stage, but the ones who finish in third, fourth and fifth place resume their quest in the Championship Bracket Losers rounds. The more successful they are during the group stage, the fewer games they will have to play to reach the Championship Bracket. The quarterfinals, semifinals and finals will be played in a best-of-five format and the games will be streamed live.

The best Call of Duty: World War II teams have made significant changes to their rosters. However, reigning champions Luminosity Gaming and the runners up Splyce are among the favorites. The winning team will receive a paycheck of $80,000, the finalists will collect $40,000 and the team in the third-place will walk away with $32,000. A fourth place finish will be rewarded with $16,000 while the next two teams will receive $8000 each. Finally, the teams in the seventh and eighth places will get $4000.