This was just the beginning for War zone esports, according to Johanna Faries, head of leagues, of Activision.
Activision
‘In the off-season we took a lot of time to think about what the next level offers War zone looks like for CDL and the broader Call of Duty esports community? Faries said. ‘In the next few months, I think we’ll have exciting things to say about what this means for us and what fans can look forward to, not just in 2021, but beyond. We’re really happy to think that CDL’s business is reaching out to the world. War zone conversations in ways that I think will be quite exciting.
The CDL is preparing for its second season, following a debut marked by a global pandemic and numerous technical problems, as the league quickly switched to a virtual format. During 2020, pro games were plagued by server problems, players dropped and substitutes rushed, even until the championship weekend.
Take the final round of the London Home Series between Dallas Empire and Paris Legion in July as an example: teams could test and veto certain servers beforehand, but the only available resources were in California, Texas or Illinois. The teams eventually played on Texas servers and gave the Dallas team a clear potential advantage in terms of the delay. Dallas Empire won this series, but even teammate James “Clayster” Eubanks calls it “so unfair”.
Hey, we won, so I can not be fried because I’m salty, but it’s totally unfair that the server choice is against Paris CA, TX and IL. We veto CA because they are 4 CA, they veto IL because it’s the farthest from everyone, and they’re still playing on a TX host. So unfair.
– NYSL Clayster (@Clayster) 19 July 2020
Faries did not get details on server locations or speeds, but she said the league is working closely with teams to build a more robust ecosystem for the 2021 season. It all officially starts on February 11, but first there is the Kickoff Classic on January 23 and 24, with six preselected matches voted for by the leading teams by the voters.
“There’s a significant increase in server support,” Faries said. ‘And again, I think a good work plan flows, if you will, because everyone knows where the servers are, what the emergency plans look like if something happens in the middle stream. All signs indicate that they are very ready for it. ”