In the latest sweeping change to hit the Call of Duty League, the scene’s pro teams have decided to eradicate snipers from the competitive circuit, pushing for a GA that moves them firmly out of the meta pool.
As we go into the Major II qualifying stage, which leads up to the first CDL Major to land in the United Kingdom in many years, very few changes are being made. The map pool is expected to remain the same, rosters haven’t shifted too much (aside from Cloud9…), but yes, snipers are now out of the picture.
Too Many Changes Could Harm the CDL’s Image
Snipers have been pulled in and out of the meta for the longest time. It seems that they’re a point of contention every single season, and we rarely go an entire year without them being kicked out of the pool. All it takes is for them to dominate for a few games and for some players to get sharper with them, and the consensus boots them from the meta.
That’s what’s happened this time around, with a reported nine teams agreeing to GA (Gentlemen’s Agreement) snipers and eviscerate them from the weapon pool.
The ever-shrinking weapon pool, we might add.
Many have their concerns about Call of Duty’s approach to the competitive meta, and it almost always results in the game becoming a two-gun esports title. It’s a theme not replicated in any other game, including the likes of Counter-Strike, Rainbow Six, Apex Legends, and VALORANT, all of which are much more diverse.
It’s now almost exclusively down to the Dravec and the M15 to determine the outcome of each match, with a few Jäger 45 clips thrown in for good measure. It’s already tough for Call of Duty to be seen as a ‘serious esport’ without this issue surfacing every season.
Major II welcomes the first UK-based Call of Duty esports major in more than six years, with the NEC at Birmingham welcoming both CDL Major II and a wider DreamHack event.
Are you headed to Major II? Let us know what you’re thinking about the event on the Insider Gaming Discord server.
For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out the news that PUBG Mobile’s esports roadmap for 2026 has been revealed
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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