The New York Subliners, Toronto Ultra, Atlanta FaZe and Los Angeles Thieves won their respective groups on the opening day of the Call of Duty League Major 1 on Thursday in Raleigh, N.C.
Those four teams punched their tickets for the playoff stage by going 2-0 across two matches Thursday.
Sixteen teams were seeded in four groups of four to begin the first major of the season. After the opening matches, the winners faced off in a winners match for the right to automatically advance to the playoff bracket, while the opening-round losers played an elimination match in hopes of staying alive and reaching the decider match.
Friday’s decider matches will determine the other four teams that will reach the playoffs as group runners-up. The eight advancing teams will then play a double-elimination playoff bracket that will determine a champion Sunday.
The Subliners beat the Los Angeles Guerrillas 3-0 to open Group A, winning 250-82 on Mercado Hardpoint, 6-4 on Hotel Search and Destroy and 3-0 on Fortress Control. In the winners match, they faced the Minnesota Rokkr, who swept Decimate Gaming in the opening round (250-130 on Embassy Hardpoint, 6-2 on El Asilo Search and Destroy and 3-0 on El Asilo Control).
New York swept Minnesota 3-0 by taking Fortress Hardpoint 250-166, Embassy Search and Destroy 6-2 and Fortress Control 3-2.
In Group B, the Ultra opened with a 3-2 win over Pollodrom. They fell behind the non-CFL qualifier by losing 250-245 on Embassy Hardpoint and 6-5 on El Asilo Search and Destroy. After a 3-2 win on El Asilo Control, Toronto tied it with a 250-93 romp on Mercado Hardpoint and completed the reverse sweep with a 6-1 result on Fortress Search and Destroy.
OpTic Texas also advanced to the winners match with a 3-2 win over the Florida Mutineers. Texas won 250-191 on Hotel Hardpoint, lost close rounds 6-5 on Mercado Search and Destroy and 3-2 on Hotel Control, then stormed back with a 250-212 victory on Mercado Hardpoint and a 6-5 win on Embassy Search and Destroy.
But Toronto swept Texas 3-0 in the winners match, taking Mercado Hardpoint 250-146, Mercado Search and Destroy 6-3 and Hotel Control 3-0.
In Group C, FaZe fell behind LAG Academy after a 250-214 defeat on Embassy Hardpoint but won 6-2 on Mercado Search and Destroy and 3-0 on Hotel Control. LAG Academy fought back with a 250-156 win on Mercado Hardpoint, but Atlanta clinched it by taking Embassy Search and Destroy 6-1.
The Seattle Surge swept the London Royal Ravens 3-0 in their opening match on the other side of the group. Seattle bested London 250-228 on Embassy Hardpoint, 6-4 on El Asilo Search and Destroy and 3-1 on Hotel Control. But the FaZe blanked the Surge in the winners match (250-240 on Embassy Hardpoint, 6-3 on Hotel Search and Destroy, and 3-1 on Hotel Control).
In Group D, the Los Angeles Thieves rallied past the Vegas Legion 3-2 in the opener. The Legion won 250-197 on Hydro Hardpoint and 6-5 on Fortress Search and Destroy, but the Thieves took El Asilo Control 3-1, Embassy Hardpoint 250-228 and Hotel Search and Destroy 6-1.
Elevate, a qualifier, also started with a win by beating the Boston Breach 3-2. Elevate took Fortress Hardpoint 250-206 before Boston responded with a 6-3 win on Fortress Search and Destroy and a 3-1 result on Hotel Control. Elevate evened the match with a 250-211 win on Hydro Hardpoint, then squeaked by 6-5 on Hotel Search and Destroy to clinch.
Los Angeles took care of Elevate 3-1 in the winners match. The Thieves won 250-232 on Hotel Hardpoint, but Elevate tied it by taking El Asilo Search and Destroy 6-3. L.A. then won 3-2 on Hotel Control and 250-236 on Hydro Hardpoint to win it.
The Guerrillas beat Decimate Gaming 3-0 in the Group A elimination match; the Mutineers beat Pollodrom 3-1 in Group B’s elimination match; LAG Academy beat the Royal Ravens 3-2 to avoid elimination in Group C; and the Legion beat the Breach 3-2 to do the same in Group D.
The major continues Friday with four decider matches to fill out the playoff bracket:
–Los Angeles Guerrillas vs. Minnesota Rokkr (Group A)
–Florida Mutineers vs. OpTic Texas (Group B)
–LAG Academy vs. Seattle Surge (Group C)
–Vegas Legion vs. Elevate (Group D)
–Field Level Media