5 Hot Takes Before 2023 Call of Duty League Champs
The 2023 Call of Duty League Champs bracket is set to begin on Thursday, June 15, at 3:00 pm est. It's been a wild season, filled with surprises and exciting finishes. Champs will be no exception to that.
With the talent level of the CDL at an all-time high this season, anything is in the cards. We've seen top teams fall to inferior teams and surprising roster changes right before Champs. The possibilities of who will be in the Grand Finals are endless.
Here are five hot takes we're excited about for 2023 CDL Champs:
Snoopy Leads Boston Breach to Victory Over OpTic Texas
One of the biggest surprises of the season came at the end of Major 5 when Boston Breach let Vivid go (again) to bring in Snoopy from the Boston Breach Academy Challengers team. Vivid was released earlier in the season to bring in Kremp but was brought back after Boston released Nero.
Now, after spending just over a month with Boston Breach's Academy team, Snoopy takes the place of Vivid in an SMG role. The 18-year-old showed flashes of greatness during his time with the Academy team, with endless highlights during Pro-8s.
Taking on one of the best teams in the CDL for your first pro match on the Main Stage isn't ideal, but it comes at the perfect time. OpTic showed their struggles in Major 5, and if Snoopy gets his chance to slay, he could show why he belongs in the League for the foreseeable future.
Minnesota Rokkr Make Top 3
After struggling for the majority of the season, not many saw Minnesota making it to Champs. Major 5 was a heated battle for Champs between four teams (Breach, Surge, Rokkr, and Legion).
Most thought it would be Minnesota missing the cut, but after a surprising top 3 finish at Major 5, they find themselves in a good spot to make a deep run in Champs. With the squad having only a few days to practice with each other before making it to the Main Stage, this was the biggest jaw-dropper of the Major.
Now that they've had multiple weeks to prepare for Champs and work on their chemistry, a deep Champs run isn't out of the realm of possibilities. If they can squeak past the Subliners, who they're 1-5 against on the year, don't be surprised when Minnesota is pulling off wins against the top teams.
Seattle Surge Blow Past Atlanta FaZe in Round 1
After what has been an up-and-down season, it's tough to know what we can expect from Seattle. They've proven they can make deep runs in Majors and even get to the Grand Finals. But as of late, they've found themselves struggling to get out of their own way.
Champs are where you can take your predictions and throw them out the window. At any given moment, an eight-seed can upset any team in the League and completely bust a bracket. Seattle is due for an upset.
There's no doubt that FaZe is arguably the best team in the League and should be the favorite to win it all. But with an MVP candidate like Pred, anything is possible. The rest of the team needs to get on their game, and when that happens, there's no telling how far Seattle can make it.
New York Subliners Win Back-to-Back Events
Coming off a Major 5 Championship, the Subliners are in Champs form and looking dangerous. With the duo of HyDra and Kismet, no one on the map is safe. And when Priestahh and Skyz are doing their thing, they're near impossible to take down.
The Subliners were the only team to win multiple Championships this year (Major 1 and Major 5). They started off the year hot but cooled down before catching fire at the perfect time.
If the Subliners can avoid a surprise upset in round one, they have a solid projection to make it to the top 3 and even the Grand Finals. If Major 5 is any indication of what's to come—good luck to the rest of the League.
Los Angeles Thieves Leave Without a Win
The reigning 2022 CDL Champs find themselves in a bit of a predicament heading into Champs this year. After a Grand Finals appearance at Major 2 and a Championship at Major 4, things started to spiral for LAT during Major 5.
They found only one win during that Stage and fell to Toronto in Elimination Round 3. With the experience and talent of LAT, it's hard to imagine them being bounced out of Champs so early, but it's not as unlikely as one would think.
LAT will see Toronto in round one, who is one of the best teams in the League. If they lose, they'll see either FaZe or Seattle, and either one can match up well against them. It's a tough road ahead for LAT, and while they have the talent to beat any team in the League, they could be in for an early exit.
