The first CDL Major of the Modern Warfare 3 season has concluded with Toronto Ultra atop the standings.
The dust has settled in Boston, Massachusetts, following the inaugural LAN event of the 2024 Call of Duty League (CDL) season. CDL Major 1 hosted all 12 teams, but many believed only a few would be in contention come Championship Sunday. As the weekend played out, it became clear that the Toronto Ultra and Atlanta FaZe are a cut above the rest of the league. Even the reigning World Champion New York Subliners faltered earlier despite being in a prime Winner's Bracket position.
When all was said and done, the Toronto Ultra proved they are a force following the addition of Dylan "Envoy" Hannon in the off-season. Here's what unfolded this past weekend at CDL Major 1.
The road to the CDL Major 1 Grand Finals
Despite shocking performances from the New York Subliners, Minnesota ROKKR, and others, the top three played out as expected. The Toronto Ultra and Atlanta FaZe took advantage of the Winner's Bracket, dispatching the Minnesota ROKKR and OpTic Texas respectfully en route to the Winner's Finals. Those results set up a highly-anticipated showdown between the consensus two best teams in the league.
The momentum remained in favor of the Ultra, who sent FaZe to the Elimination Bracket following a 3-1 victory. Although many thought OpTic Texas would have its revenge in the Elimination Finals, the Atlanta FaZe once again came out on top by a 3-1 map count to solidify a Grand Finals matchup between Toronto and Atlanta.
Toronto Ultra bests Atlanta FaZe to win Major 1 convincingly
Behind the team's vocal leader, Thomas "Scrappy" Ernst, the Ultra had all the confidence in the world. With a series win over FaZe already in the books, Toronto needed just four map wins to secure the Major and start their redemption arc after their heartbreaking CDL Champs 2023 loss.
Although the two Hardpoint maps were close, the Ultra was four steps ahead of Atlanta in the Search and Destroy department. Besides dropping a Control map to FaZe and being significantly outslayed, Toronto kept its foot on the gas and ultimately claimed CDL Major 1 and a cool $150K.
Final Map Count
- Hardpoint on Karachi - Toronto Ultra wins 250-230
- Search and Destroy on Skidrow - Toronto Ultra wins 6-2
- Control on Invasion - Atlanta FaZe wins 3-1
- Hardpoint on Skidrow - Toronto Ultra wins 250-237
- Search and Destroy on Karachi - Toronto Ultra wins 6-2
Final Standings
Place | Team | Winnings |
1st | Toronto Ultra | $150,000 |
2nd | Atlanta FaZe | $90,000 |
3rd | OpTic Texas | $60,000 |
4th | Minnesota ROKKR | $30,000 |
5th/6th | Los Angeles Guerillas | $15,000 |
5th/6th | Seattle Surge | $15,000 |
7th/8th | Carolina Royal Ravens | $7,500 |
7th/8th | Vegas Legion | $7,500 |
9th/12th | Boston Breach | |
9th/12th | Los Angeles Thieves | |
9th/12th | Miami Heretics | |
9th/12th | New York Subliners |
CleanX takes home the MVP award
The entire Toronto Ultra squad held their own throughout the weekend, but CleanX earned the MVP award, likely due to his effectiveness in each series. It could have gone to any of the four players, but CleanX and Insight were far and away the most impactful players throughout CDL Major 1.
The Call of Duty League returns to online play until Major 2 kicks off in late March.
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