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Now that Xbox is buying Activision Blizzard, there could be some serious changes in the wind for entities like the Call of Duty League. It could mean that nothing at all changes for the Call of Duty esports league, but there is the potential for some major improvements to the CDL.
Fan interest in the Call of Duty League is waning right now, and Microsoft could help reinvigorate interest as we head into Season 3. There is a lot to think about for what the future could hold.
Note: This article features the opinion of the writer.
PlayStation’s monopoly on the Call of Duty League could change under Xbox
As of right now, the only console used in the Call of Duty League belongs to Sony, but there’s a real possibility that could change in the future. Xbox’s Series X|S are incredible in their own right and Microsoft could easily allow cross-platform play in the Call of Duty League.
Both the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 are powerful consoles, so it would be unlikely that players would accuse anyone of having an advantage, based on that. After all, Call of Duty: Vanguard already features crossplay, so nothing would have to be changed in the actual game.
No matter what platform someone plays on, they have access to online gameplay in Call of Duty: Vanguard, so forcing everyone to play on one console should be a thing of the past. So one major change that could come to the Call of Duty League, thanks to Xbox’s purchase of Activision Blizzard, could be cross-platform esports.
As anti-cheat is one of the biggest complaints about Call of Duty, focusing on console esports could give players hope for the future.
Xbox Game Pass could drive up viewership
Another result of this hypothetical change could be that Xbox fans would tune in more frequently. If Microsoft advertises the Call of Duty League on their console’s home screen, more people would be exposed to esports and might consider watching.
Advertisement is important when getting people to watch esports. Sometimes, fans of a game simply aren’t aware or don’t care enough to go. But if Microsoft gets its advertising engine behind the Call of Duty League, we could see a major uptick in viewership.
Then there’s the Xbox Game Pass. If Call of Duty games come to the Game Pass now, another avenue gets created to advertise or hype up the CDL for fans of the classic first-person shooter.
Players use Xbox Game Pass on console and PC, and so there are suddenly so many more viewers aware of the Call of Duty League, especially if the esport were to announce some major, sweeping changes that get people excited.
Call of Duty League changes could come - inspired by Halo Championship Series
One of the major problems with the Call of Duty League right now is stagnation. As there are only twelve teams in the League, there are so many times a pair of teams can face off without things getting incredibly boring.
Some have suggested the CDL could gain a few more teams over time to increase the excitement for the game and offer more matchups to watch. Instead, perhaps the CDL could gain some inspiration for change, such as Halo fans have seen in the HCS.
Instead of simply having twelve teams (11 in North America, 2 in Europe), the Halo Championship Series features four regions of competitive gameplay: North America, Europe, Mexico (Latin America), and Australia/New Zealand.
The Halo Championship Series features 16 teams, which is admittedly North America-heavy. The HCS also uses regular online FFA (Free-for-all) tournaments to be used by players without teams to try to find a way into the HCS. Microsoft could have the Call of Duty League do something similar with Warzone and improve the popularity of the free-to-play franchise.
If this were to stay on consoles, players would have a bit more surety on having Warzone and Call of Duty matches that were free of cheaters. At least, they would potentially have fewer cheaters. Call of Duty could also shift ranked gameplay into being free-to-play for a lesser barrier of entry.
Xbox buying Activision Blizzard is a titanic move and there is so much possibility of change for the future of gaming. This could be a major chance for change for the Call of Duty League and make it more enjoyable to watch in the future.
