Esports fans, the Call of Duty Vanguard season is finally here. Check out our key match predictions for this weekend’s Major 1 qualifying round.

The Call of Duty League Kickoff Classic gave players and viewers a glimpse of the excitement to come. Toronto Ultra took out a surprisingly robust Seattle Surge in the grand finale, showcasing the team’s talent in the early stages.

With the CoD Vanguard season upon us, it’s time for Major 1 qualifiers. Starting this weekend, every team will go all out to make it to the next round.

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Event Overview

Before the season, the league announced the return of LAN events. Every major, qualifier and mid-season event with fans in attendance will be in person. Qualifiers will span the next three weekends, with Major 1 from Thursday, March 3 to Sunday, March 6. The matches will be broadcast exclusively on the CDL’s official YouTube channel.

League viewers will see some significant changes after the qualifiers. First, the Top 2 highest-ranked teams will no longer receive a bye in the first round, which means more matches for you to watch. What’s more, the bottom two teams won’t start in the loser’s bracket.

This year’s contenders are:

• Atlanta FaZe
• Florida Mutineers
• London Royal Ravens
• LA Guerrillas
• LA Thieves
• Minnesota RØKKR
• New York Subliners
• OpTic Texas
• Paris Legion
• Seattle Surge
• Toronto Ultra
• Boston Breach

Top Teams to Watch

Following the exciting Kickoff Classic, keep your eye on a few surprises heading into the first Major. Three teams to watch: Atlanta FaZe, Toronto Ultra and Seattle Surge.

Atlanta FaZe

After losing to Seattle and its rookies in their first match, Atlanta FaZe has a lot to prove going into the first Major qualifiers. They’re still the strongest side from top to bottom, but after a poor showing in the Kickoff Classic, it seems that even the CoD giants can fall.

Toronto Ultra

Toronto Ultra has reminded CDL fans that they’re still a top team. The franchise made no changes to its starting roster in the off-season, and it looks like that was the right decision. As a result, the Ultra made it straight back to the finals in the event. This makes them one of the favorites heading into this weekend.

Seattle Surge

Surprisingly, Seattle Surge came in hot in the Kickoff Classic and is expected to do it again for the first Major of the season. While the team couldn’t bring home the title, Surge’s showing proved the team is finally on the front foot.

Top Players to Watch

Going into the new season, starting with the Major 1 qualifiers, here are the Top 4 players to watch:

• Pred/Sib of the Seattle Surge
• Simp of Atlanta
• Cammy from Toronto
• Shotzzy from OpTic Texas

Pred/Sib. The two rookies, Seattle Surge’s Pred and Sib, took the Kickoff Classic by storm, and proved their worth in spades with their relentless speed and mechanical understanding. These two make up a formidable slaying partnership. But we’ll have to wait and see if they can maintain their momentum heading into the Major 1 qualifiers.

Simp. Despite his team trailing out in their first match, Atlanta’s Simp is still one of the best players in the league, if not the best. His use of SMGs is still unrivaled, and his aggressive style sets him apart from the rest of the league.

Cammy. Helping lead Toronto to its first title of the season, Cammy is one of the most consistent players in the league. He was a constant thorn in the side of his CDL opponents, and his sniper play all tournament was a joy to watch. In addition, his partnership with Insight made for one of the most formidable assault rifle duos in Call of Duty.

Shotzzy. Like Simp, Shotzzy of OpTic Texas outplayed many of his opponents. His versatility is second to none and his play never gets old. This is one of those players you just love to watch. It’s his quick and unpredictable movement that makes him so good.

Key Match Predictions

London Royal Ravens vs. Florida Mutineers
Friday, February 4

This is a battle of two bottom-of-the-table teams. The London Royal Ravens and Florida Mutineers have had their share of bad luck over the last few seasons. Neither team has strengthened its roster, but they haven’t lost players either. The Florida Mutineers will end up squeezing a win after this first match.

Atlanta FaZe vs. Paris Legion
Saturday, February 5

This almost seems like an unfair match-up; the top team against the bottom. There’s no question that Atlanta Faze is the favorite going into this match, and surpasses Paris Legion in every position. This Paris team can’t get anything going, which showed in the Kickoff Classic. Atlanta will take this match.

Minnesota RØKKR vs. OpTic Texas
Sunday, February 6

This is an exciting match-up. OpTic Texas should be one of the league’s top teams, but didn’t impress during the Kickoff Classic. Minnesota RØKKR stayed consistent last season and even picked up silverware in Major 5 the previous year. It’s also keeping the same lineup. Texas won’t go down without a fight, but look for RØKKR to win this round.

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