Call of Duty’s appeal as an esport continues to be driven by its wealth of personalities, ranging from the brash Ian “Crimsix” Porter to the quiet assassin McArthur “Cellium” Jovel.
It’s these personalities which arguably pulled viewers through this year’s Modern Warfare season, which was met with complaints from pro players over its map design and spawn points.
There’s now hope Black Ops Cold War will prove a more positive competitive title, with eyes now locked on the manic roster changes in the offseason - sparked by changes in the format.
So how are the teams shaping up so far? Here’s what you need to know about the roster shake-ups for the 2021 Call of Duty League season.
What is the format for the CDL 2021 season?
The Call of Duty League is undergoing some format shifts (Picture: CDL)
For Black Ops Cold War, the Call of Duty League is switching from 5v5 to 4v4 teams, reverting to the format last seen in Call of Duty WWII in 2017.
This has led to a period of significant shake-ups, as teams have been forced to drop players and adjust rosters to better suit a 4v4 format.
A less significant but still notable change is the switch from PlayStation 4 to PC. While players will still have to use controllers for the 2021 season on PC, it marks a potential transition year to a full mouse and keyboard league.
All the confirmed CDL 2021 rosters
Here's a full rundown of the confirmed roster changes, with some teams still yet to be announced.
Chicago OpTic
- Seth “Scump” Baner
- Matthew “FormaL” Piper
- Dylan “Envoy” Hannon
- Brandon “Dashy” Otell
Atlanta FaZe
- Alec “Arcitys” Sanderson
- Tyler “aBeZy” Pharris
- Chris “Simp” Lehr
- McArthur “Cellium” Jovel
Dallas Empire
- Indervir “iLLeY” Dhaliwal
- Anthony “Shotzzy” Cuevas-Castro
- Cuyler “Huke” Garland
- Ian “Crimsix” Porter
Minnesota ROKKR
- Preston “Priestahh” Greiner
- Michael “MajorManiak” Szymaniak
- Lamar “Accuracy” Abedi
- Dillon “Attach” Price
LA Guerrillas
- Reece “Vivid” Drost
- Bryan “Apathy” Zhelyazkov
- Adam “Assault” Garcia
- Justin “SiLLY” Fargo-Palmer
Crimsix is sticking with Dallas Empire (Picture: CDL)
Seattle Surge
- Sam “Octane” Larew
- Peirce “Gunless” Hillman
- Preston “Prestinni” Sanderson
- Daniel “Loony” Loza
Toronto Ultra
- Ben “Bance” Bance
- Cameron “Cammy” McKilligan
- Tobias “CleanX” Jonsson
- Anthony “Methodz” Zinni
LA Thieves
- Thomas “TJHaly” Haly
- Kenny “Kuavo” Williams
- Donovan "Temp" Laroda
- Austin “SlasheR” Liddicoat
- Zack “Drazah” Jordan (sub)
New York Subliners
- James “Clayster” Eubanks
- Thomas “ZooMaa” Paparatto
- Makenzie “Mack” Kelley
- Paco “HyDra” Rusiewiez
London Royal Ravens
- Sean “Seany” O’Connor
- Thomas "Dylan" Henderson
- Trei "Zer0" Morris
- Alex "Alexx" Carpenter
Florida Mutineers
- Cesar "Skyz" Bueno
- Cold "Havok" McLendon
- Joseph "Owakening" Conley
- Josiah "Slacked" Berry
Paris Legion
- Ulysses “AquA” Silva
- Nicholas “Classic” DiConstanzo
- Matthew “Skrapz” Marshall
- Luis “Fire” Rivera
We'll update this page as more rosters are announced.
