Call of Duty League

New details on 2020 Call of Duty esports Season: 5v5, Console Play, and Roster Transfer

Keshav Bhat

Activision has shared on the Call of Duty competitive Reddit new details, including information about rosters, contracts, and open tournaments for the 2020 Call of Duty esports season.

The 2020 season will be played on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and will once again be 5v5. It will be played on console, presumably PS4, but that was not mentioned.

Here’s the details from Activision, shared to Reddit:

This weekend, the Call of Duty World League season wrapped another stellar season with eUnited capturing the ultimate prize: The Call of Duty World League Championship. Congratulations to all competitors and thank you to the teams, players, and staff members from all over the world who helped make this past season so special.

Looking ahead, Call of Duty professional esports will begin to transform into a city-based franchised league with teams around the world. Today, we outline below some of the roster construction parameters set forth for all teams in the new city-based league as they begin to develop their pro player rosters. This information was also shared in person with pro CWL players last month.​

PRO TEAM ROSTER CONSTRUCTION IN 2020

The process set forth below is designed to foster competitive balance within the league; to provide players with the opportunity to compete regularly during the season and to promote player development at all levels of competitive Call of Duty; to provide the best Call of Duty players in the world with the opportunity to compete in the new city-based league if they so choose; to provide players with the flexibility to sign with any team in the new league on fair terms; to incentivize investment by team owners in player development in competitive Call of Duty outside of the new city-based league system; and to incentivize team investment in the Call of Duty Path to Pro amateur program and player pipeline development generally; and to provide team owners with fair compensation for their investment in player development.

Below is a summary of key roster construction points for aspiring Call of Duty esports players, as teams in the new league begin to build their rosters in the coming weeks and months:​

  • The next season of Call of Duty esports for Pro Players will begin in 2020.
  • Pro match play will be 5v5 Multiplayer team versus team competition, played on console. The rules may include midseries substitutions.
  • The minimum pro roster size per team is 7; the maximum pro roster size per team is 10.
  • An Open Signing Window for all pro players begins September 3, 2019. This means that any player may negotiate and sign a new contract with any team in the league at this time. For the avoidance of doubt, players who are currently under contract with an existing organization remain subject to the terms of that contract while they negotiate new league contracts.
  • Existing Call of Duty World League organizations who are transitioning into the new league as a city-based team will have the ability to sign players who are currently on their 2019 CWL rosters to new contracts 8 days earlier than any other organization beginning August 26.
  • All players will be required to sign a new form contract in order to be eligible to compete in the upcoming league.
  • Contract negotiation is between a player and teams. The League Office will not advise players or teams in contract negotiations.
  • All pro players in the league will receive a minimum base salary of $50,000 USD per year, health care benefits, and retirement benefits. Teams are required to distribute at least 50% of their prize pool earnings to players directly.
  • All pro player contracts will be guaranteed contracts; thus, any team that drops a player from their roster without cause is required to pay out that player’s remaining salary.
  • All teams may offer their players housing in the form of a suitable place to live or cash stipend but are not required to do so. If a team does not offer housing, it must submit a plan to the League Office detailing how it will assist its players in finding housing during the season. The League does not require that players live in the cities they represent.
  • Teams are responsible for coordinating and acquiring any visa paperwork required for players to compete around the world. The League Office will support teams and players in this process as needed.
  • Teams may send up to 2 pro players from their roster to compete in the Path to Pro events held throughout the season. Teams may contract up to 4 total pro players to have 2-way contracts at a given time.

For current Call of Duty esports players who are under existing contracts that extend through January 2020:

  • Existing Call of Duty World League teams that are transitioning into the new league will have the right to match a competing offer made to a player on their current roster from another team in the new league. The matching period will be limited to a maximum of 7 days from the date of the initial contract submission to the league.
  • All Call of Duty World League teams will have the ability to negotiate a contract buyout fee to be paid by the team in the new league. Buyout fees carry no set minimum and are capped at 100 percent of the player’s salary in the new league plus any applicable guaranteed bonuses.
  • The right to match and buyout fees are subject to any contractual limitations on such fees that the player has negotiated in the player contract with the Call of Duty World League team.
  • Player trades among teams in the pro league may take place through majority of the 2020 season.

PATH TO PRO: ONLINE & OPEN BRACKET TOURNAMENT COMPETITION RETURNS IN 2020

We recognize the importance of a thriving Path to Pro competitive scene in Call of Duty esports, which has continued to garner strong participation and prizing each year. Going forward, we will support and administer extensive amateur competitions, both online and via open bracket tournaments in cities around the world, with dedicated prize pools. More details about the path to pro system and upcoming open bracket tournament events will be shared in the coming months.

The future of Call of Duty Esports is bright and builds on a strong legacy of competitive excellence. We are committed to supporting our incredible player community, teams, fans, and partners in its next chapter.

The company today announced two more spots for the 2020 league, including a second LA spot and a Florida team spot. There’s 9 teams currently in the league, but reports says Activision wants 12 for the first season.

We’ll keep you updated on all things esports as we get into this new phase.

SOURCE: Activision

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