This weekend, the first Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 event tied to the COD League took place. It was the Monster Launch Invitational, a $100,000 pro-am event featuring the talents of all 12 Call of Duty League teams and four of the best COD Challengers organizations.
It proved to be a pretty telling event, setting the pace for the road ahead. The Call of Duty League starts in earnest next month and will start to travel the world again in the new year, and when the dust had settled after the Monster event, it was Toronto KOI that stood tall above all comers.
This team is one to watch this season.
Toronto KOI Makes a Splash in First MW4 Event
The Monster Launch Invitational was a stellar online event by all accounts, with the energy beverage company and CDL partner laying out a massive $100,000 prize pool for some of the best Call of Duty players in the business. It was the first official outing for these new rosters in preparation for an entirely new season on a fresh Call of Duty game.
If nothing else, it was a glimpse into the year ahead, with the final standings representing something you might consider shocking.
After finishing in fifth place last season, Toronto KOI stole the trophy at the Monster Launch Invitational, absolutely tearing through the competition without breaking a sweat. The team scooped a $32,000 prize after defeating M80 Boston, Huntsmen, Riyadh Falcons, OpTic Texas, and Paris Gentle Mates… Twice.
Out of 21 maps played, the squad conceded just three.
The wider picture is super interesting.
Last season, Cloud9 New York experienced immense issues. The organization wound up flat bottom in the CDL standings, and at one point, had an 18-match run that saw just one series win in the middle of it. To start the 2027 season at the Monster Launch Invitational, the revitalized squad of Cammy, Insight, Lurqxx, and Pred landed in third place.
Vancouver Surge, which was second from last at the end of the 2026 season, managed to sit in the same place at the close of this tournament. The roster is not looking tight by any means, and the expectation is that Surge will end up being a bottom-tier team once again this coming year.
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This season’s superteam in FaZe Vegas (Scrap, Simp, HyDra, and Alluka) managed a lacklustre fifth-place finish after being defeated by Paris Gentle Mates and Cloud9 back-to-back. And on the topic of superteams, OpTic Texas also managed to be eliminated by Cloud9 New York, a team on a mad run in the lower bracket of the playoffs.
It’s safe to say that predictions have now been shaken up as the new season approaches. There’s a bizarre power play happening, and I can see Cloud9, Paris Gentle Mates, and Toronto KOI holding it down against the strongest contenders this year, no question.
Who is your money on this coming CDL 2027 season? Let us know your thoughts on the Insider Gaming Discord server.
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Grant has been gaming for 30+ years and in the industry for 10+. You'll probably find him playing a post-apocalyptic game or an extraction shooter somewhere.
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