CWL Pro League Stage 2: Everything you need to know

In Call of Duty esports, the CWL Pro League is where every top player aspires to be. This is no surprise: what with the stiffest competition in the world and $1.4 million on the line across both Stages. This prize pool for each Stage comes second only to that of the World Championships – for which all Pro League teams automatically qualify – and the league has been known to both make and break the careers of many a CoD pro. Here's how the $700k for Stage two of the competition is split: each team receives $12,500 as a reward for qualifying; then, it's $200,000 for the winner of the Playoffs, $120,000 to second place, with various diminishing prizes all the way down to eighth place. The second stage of the CWL Pro League often sets the foundations for the World Championship that follows it. Only last year, OpTic Gaming came through the Loser's Bracket to beat EnVy at both Stage 2 Playoffs and the CWL World Championships, winning over $800,000 in the process. CoD fans will be watching with eagle eyes to see if they can discern any similar tendencies this time round.

The teams:

Stage 1 winners FaZe Clan head up Division A, whilst runners-up OpTic Gaming enter Division B as top seed, albeit with a new lineup. Joining FaZe Clan are teams such as two-time Major winners Team Kaliber and top European side Red Reserve, whilst multi-Major winners Luminosity Gaming and Rise Nation join OpTic in Division B. Both divisions will be backed up by top global teams that had to fight off the rest of their respective regions for the chance to compete at the top.

The format:

Group Stage:

Each division is made up of eight teams, who will be competing for a playoff spot as well as seeding for both playoffs and the World Championship in August. The divisions are double round-robin, and the top four teams from each goes through to the playoff stage where the real money, competition and prestige is. Each division plays across four weeks; Division A will be playing for the opening two weeks, and Division B the following two. The process is then repeated and we are left with our final playoff teams.

Playoffs:

CWL Stage 2 Playoffs will feature the eight best teams in the world from both Division A and Division B, competing in a double-elimination bracket based on seeding from the Group Stage. The bracket will be released following the culmination of the final Division B matches at the end of the eight weeks, and the playoff tournament is taking place on 27-29th July. If you aren't able to keep up with each and every match, you can keep up with all the results and standings right here on GINX TV. Follow us on Twitter here and Follow us on Facebook here.

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Playoffs:

Schedule

Friday 27th July

Team Kaliber v UNILAD eUnited v Echo Fox Red Reserve v Rise Nation OpTic Gaming v FaZe Clan

Saturday 28th July

Loser's Round 1 matches Winner's Round 2 matches Loser's Round 2 matches

Sunday 29th July

Loser's Round 3 Winner's Final Loser's Final Grand Final