Toronto Ultra Beats Atlanta FaZe in CDL Major I Grand Final

That’s it – the first Major of the 2024 Call of Duty League season has wrapped, and Toronto Ultra has lifted the trophy and secured the $150,000 grand prize. In a dominating streak, Toronto Ultra chewed through Seattle Surge, Minnesota Rokkr, and Atlanta FaZe twice, dropping just two maps in the entire tournament. It was an impressive display that saw Ultra’s CleanX crowned MVP amid a stunning performance that has set the tone for the season ahead.

Elsewhere, Atlanta FaZe fans mourned yet another second-place finish. Despite FaZe being one of the sharpest teams in the CDL, the squad has failed to gain substantial traction in recent years. There was a win during Major II in 2023, but since the iconic Cold War season, Atlanta has come second (or third) at ten major events. There are claims that the team is developing ‘finishing issues’ and that a paradigm change has to happen outside of simply switching out the fourth man on loop: first Arcitys, then SlasheR, and now Drazah.

Not What They Had Hoped

There were high expectations for the likes of OpTic Texas and the New York Subliners heading into Major I. Sadly, both teams failed to secure the biggest prize thus far in 2024, falling short of the final post. For the Subliners, it was a devastating event, with the team suffering a first loss against Rokkr, and then facing an ejection from the tournament at the hands of the Royal Ravens. While OpTic fared a little better, a third-place finish is not what the Green Wall was hoping for.

OpTic Texas now hasn’t won an event in Call of Duty since the Stage 1 Major in March 2022, leaving fans understandably exasperated.

For Toronto Ultra, this was as good a weekend as it gets. With a dominating, near-flawless performance, the Strength in the North pushed powerful through all comers, with the likes of Insight and CleanX leading the charge. There’s a special commendation for Scrap, and team newcomer Envoy certainly picked up his fair share of impressive moments. From this weekend’s performance alone, Toronto Ultra has been cemented as the League favourite for the 2024 season.

Looking Ahead

Following a little downtime, we’ll launch into the qualifying stage for Major II, which commences on February 16. We’ve now seen a shakeup take place in the CDL standings, with Toronto Ultra securing the top spot – but only by a distance of five points. Atlanta FaZe is firmly in second place (whoops) and OpTic Texas has moved up into the third position, with the Subliners sitting 20 points behind the team in green in fourth place.

At the other end of the table with just 20 points apiece sits Breach, LA Thieves, Legion, and the Royal Ravens. They’ll be desperate to pick up some early wins as Major II draws closer. This impending event will be backed by the Miami Heretics, and again, there will be a stack of cash and an injection of CDL points to play for.

For more Call of Duty esports news, Esports.net