The first open event of the 2019 Call of Duty World League season, presented by PlayStation4, concluded with OpTic Gaming defeating eUnited to win CWL Las Vegas.
Players from around the world competed through three days in the largest open bracket event in CWL history, setting a league record of 272 teams. Splyce and Luminosity rounded-out the remaining top four placing teams at CWL Las Vegas.
After a quick exit from the 2018 Call of Duty World League Championship, all eyes werr on a newly-formed OpTic Gaming squad. Returning are roster staples Seth Scump Abner and Ian Crimsix Porter alongside their former teammate—and the only player in CWL history with three championship rings—Damon Karma Barlow. The additions Tommy TJHaly Haly, who captured multiple event wins last season and Brandon Dashy Otell, one of the scene’s best young talents makes OpTic look fierce on paper.
In practice, they look like the team to beat as well, winning multiple online events ahead of CWL Las Vegas.
OpTic looked to prove that last season was an outlier and its squad was assembled to best any roster fielded by every other organisation in the Call of Duty World League.
It’s been a few years since OpTic Gaming started a season with a first event win and, if online play translates, the streak could be over this weekend in Las Vegas.
OpTic Gaming’s star player Brandon Dashy Otell was named CWL Las Vegas MVP for his performance at the event, helping drive OpTic to victory at the first event of the new season.
The top four teams at CWL Las Vegas automatically qualify for the CWL Pro League, a 12-week regular series tournament which begins in February 2019. Teams who ranked 5th – 32nd at CWL Las Vegas will move on to the CWL Pro League Qualifier in January, where they will compete to determine the remaining spots for the 16-team CWL Pro League.
In addition to the sold-out crowd in attendance at CWL Las Vegas, the action was streamed live to fans worldwide on MLG and Twitch TV as well as in the live event viewer within Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 exclusively on PlayStation4.
With the completion of CWL Las Vegas, the Call of Duty World League released the calendar of events through June 2019. More dates will be announced as the competition marches toward the CWL Championship next year.
CWL Pro League Qualifier, 16-20 January 2019
CWL Pro League, Begins 4 February , 2019
CWL Fort Worth, 15-17 March, 2019
CWL UK Event, Details TBA
CWL Anaheim, 14-16 June 2019