I attended the launch event of the $300 million Call of Duty League and it was a wild three-day whirlwind showcasing the potential of the esports industry.
Fans started lining up outside the historic Armory in Minneapolis hours before the Call of Duty League matches were set to begin.
The Armory was home to the NBA's Minnesota Lakers for 10 years before they moved to Los Angeles. It's huge and can fit up to 8,000 people.
The main stage was quite the spectacle, showcasing one head-to-head match after another. The massive screen displayed all of the in-game "Call of Duty" action, along with live camera footage from the venue.
Call of Duty League's in-house production offered everything you'd expect from a major sporting event, including live commentary, and an analyst desk to help break down the action to the audience and fans who tuned into the live stream.
Dark ambient lighting created a theater-like effect during matches, with the spotlight focused on the stage.
Professional "Call of Duty" matches are fast-paced and unforgiving, with the broadcast cycling through the action from each player's perspective.
The crowd supported all 12 teams during the weekend, but the home team, the Minnesota Rokkr, had the most fans by far.
A few Rokkr fans even took the time to dress up for the weekend!
The Minnesota Rokkr shares ownership with the NFL's Minnesota Vikings. The full team is living in the Minneapolis area during the season and Rokkr has an 11,000 square foot headquarters at the Vikings' training facility.
Every team got a big-time introduction before their matches — players took the stage like wrestlers marching down to the ring.
Who had the BEST entrance at #CDL2020 Launch Weekend? pic.twitter.com/WzMOLp8qgn
— DEXERTO Call of Duty (@DexertoIntel) January 28, 2020Fans were able to explore different levels of The Armory during the three days of Call of Duty League matches. The event ran for more than 8 hours each day, so the size of the crowd shifted as fans moved around the arena.
With no assigned seats the crowd wasn't always packed, but thousands of Call of Duty fans were in attendance during the weekend.
On the lower level of The Armory, hundreds of amateur players were competing in a $250,000 tournament called Call of Duty Challengers.
More than 160 different amateur Call of Duty teams traveled to play, but only a lucky few took home prize money.
Some of the Call of Duty Challengers teams were sponsored by well-known esports organizations. A few Call of Duty League teams even sponsor their own Challengers squads to help develop pro talent like a professional sports team would.
While the pros upstairs were commanding the main stage, the Challengers event was fueled by raw competitive energy.
@SNG_Esports reaction to winning the event. pic.twitter.com/AxaoPDM1YA
— Tommy (@Kyotix) January 26, 2020Team Singularity took home the first place Challengers prize of $80,000. Singularity is based in Denmark and sponsored five players from England.
CHAMPIONS!! It was a long weekend, but the boys pulled through! Your CDC Launch Weekend Open winners @InsightGawd @JeDetain @EmigrantChain @gothmaple @LukeBidz!
WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU!#SNGARMY pic.twitter.com/36gXgCweVP
The lower level also included arcade machines, merchandise tables, player autograph signings, and a few photo-booths.
The Call of Duty League takes a lot of inspiration from professional sports. Its structure — regional teams traveling to compete — is new for professional esports. Activision Blizzard even hired a former NFL executive to spearhead the new league.
The pro "Call of Duty" players were the stars of the show, with post-match press conferences and pre-recorded interviews showing off player personalities and how they handle their careers.
While most of the weekend was filled with excitement for the new league, there were a few controversial moments.
Some professional players expressed frustration with the sudden changes to the game and a lack of clarity on the league's rules.
After accidentally forfeiting a crucial point for a rule violation, the Los Angeles Guerrillas posted a statement on Twitter criticizing the league for punishing them and failing to specify all of the rules in advance.
Our statement regarding yesterday's event. pic.twitter.com/51b0MOJRy7
— Los Angeles Guerrillas (@LAGuerrillas) January 25, 2020While the league may have a few things to improve on, the attendance and versatility of the kick-off event showed that Call of Duty could draw an audience in a city that had never had a major esports event.
Moreover, the live YouTube stream brought in 102,000 simultaneous viewers at its peak, and more than 975,000 have watched the replays of the broadcast in the past week.
The Call of Duty League will resume on February 8 and 9 with an event hosted by the London Ravens. The event will also be streamed live at YouTube.com/CODLeague, where you can also find replays of the launch event in Minnesota.
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