CDL London: 5 Takeaways From the London Royal Ravens Home Series
By Cailey Ives
CDL London, one of the most highly anticipated events of the season, has come to an end. Here are the five biggest takeaways from the London Royal Ravens home series.
1. Chicago Huntsmen are the CDL London Champions
Congratulations to the Chicago @Huntsmen, the WINNERS of the Call of Duty League London Home Series! #BeTheHunter pic.twitter.com/JgT1byimnY
— Call of Duty League (@CODLeague) February 9, 2020
The Chicago Huntsmen are in first place after a dominant weekend at CDL London. On championship Sunday, the team had a close call against the Paris Legion when it went to a fifth game. In the end, the Huntsmen were able to close out, earning them a spot in the finals against the Dallas Empire where they won 3-0.
2. Dallas Empire Reverse Sweep
A crazy series but we pull off the reverse sweep and make finals in London!
— Dallas Empire (@DallasEmpire) February 9, 2020
Well played to the @RoyalRavens.#CrownedVictorious pic.twitter.com/qwEQkAenVU
The London Royal Ravens had a hot start but couldn’t keep the momentum going. They faltered in both respawns as Dallas was able to claw their way back and knock out the hometown favorites after a close game 5.
Despite their loss, London had a great weekend. They took out Toronto Ultra 3-1 and New York Subliners 3-2 and proved they are a team that can go the distance this season.
3. COD Caster Makes Monumental Improvements
The COD Caster in Modern Warfare has made immense strides these past couple of weeks. Fans have voiced their opinions about their expectations and the Call of Duty League has (so far) been listening.
While there have been lot of mishaps and missed plays, COD caster continuously improves with every match. There still needs to be better stat implementation, but that will come with time.
4. LA Guerrillas Tough Loss
GG @SeattleSurge, our run in London comes to an end. A big thank you to @RoyalRavens for hosting this home series. We’ll see you all at home March 7-8. #HoodsUp
— Los Angeles Guerrillas (@LAGuerrillas) February 9, 2020
The LA Guerrillas had a pretty forgetful weekend. Their first match was against the Chicago Huntsmen and while there was a glimmer of hope in the domination, Chicago scraped by with the win and the 3-0 sweep.
Their next series was more evenly matched against the Seattle Surge. Both searches went to a round 11 and both Hardpoints were within 40 points of each other. Ultimately Seattle was able to secure the win and LA was the first team to be eliminated.
5. Envoy had an MVP Performance
CDL LONDON CHAMPS! Finally got the first one. Super proud of the squad, we are absolutely filthy. Appreciate the support through the weekend, the crowd was awesome. On to the next one #BeTheHunter
— Envoy (@DylanEnvoy) February 9, 2020
There was not one game this weekend that didn’t see Dylan “Envoy” Hannon of the Chicago Huntsmen make some kind of game changing play. Next to Seth “Scump” Abner, Envoy’s search performance was one for the books. He dominated all weekend long and was finally able to secure his first major championship win.