Field Level Media - Professional sports content solutions | FLM

Activision on Tuesday gave Call of Duty fans a players an early gift, announcing that much of the upcoming 2020 COD League season will utilize tournament-based play.

While the season kicks off with the Launch Event in Minneapolis on Jan. 24, tournament-based play will begin Feb. 8 in London.

The 2020 season will be the first in which city-based franchises will compete against one another in Call of Duty.

Our holiday gift to you 🎁:
▪️ More matches
▪️ More drama
▪️ More reasons to get excited for 2020

Announcing a new tournament-based structure for the inaugural season. https://t.co/Cf81HvN5mF #CDL2020 pic.twitter.com/rRQh1NxKYS

— Call of Duty League (@CODLeague) December 24, 2019

Tourney play to follow Launch Event

The Launch Event will see the 12 2020 League teams compete in predetermined head-to-head matchups. After that, teams will compete in a tournament format in which they collect points toward their season total.

“Beginning Week 2 in London, teams will compete in a format that is both familiar to the legacy of Call of Duty esports and fresh amidst the backdrop of our city-based franchise structure,” the League announced in a statement. “This format, coupled with a brand new points system that goes into effect on Launch Weekend, will deliver a competitive experience where every match of the season matters. The result: fans will get to see more matches, more drama, and more teams competing each home series weekend.”

At the end of the 2020 regular season, the top eight teams will advance to Championship Weekend. The field will then narrow down until the final two teams will play in the Call of Duty League Championship.

–Field Level Media (@FieldLevelMedia)