This article is part of our Call of Duty series.
We are just days away from the start of CWL Dallas, the fourth Call of Duty World League sanctioned open tournament, with over 160 teams set to compete for the $200,000 prize pool. Money won't be the only prize for hopeful competitors, however, as CWL Dallas will also act as the last chance for teams to qualify for Stage 1 of the CWL Global Pro League, which begins April 20th. With 16 spots available for the CWL Global Pro League -- nine from North America, six from Europe and one from the ANZ region -- the 25,000 Pro Points on the line could change the future of several teams residing on the bubble, meaning CWL Dallas will not only crown a new champion, but also dictate the future of competitive Call of Duty for the 2017 season. Needless to say, there's a lot on the line for teams competing in the Fort Worth Convention Center in Fort Worth, Texas.
Group A: OpTic Gaming, Team EnVyUs, Red Reserve, Tainted Minds
Of course after I stress the importance of Pro Points we immediately discuss a group that is relatively stress free when it comes to their spots in the upcoming Call of Duty World League.
Thanks to a scintillating run at CWL Atlanta and CWL Paris, in which the Green Wall took second and first, respectively, OpTic Gaming has reclaimed their spot on top of the competitive Call of Duty power rankings. Team EnVyUs, despite their inability to win a major tournament, also sits comfortably among the elite teams in North America. And the new-look Red Reserve, who welcome Niall "Niall" Sunderland and Sean "Seany" O'Connor in replace of Trei "Zer0" Morris and Rhys "Rated" Price, who have all but guaranteed their spot in the CWL with a solid performance in the most recent European Online 2K. This leaves Tainted Minds, who'll have to place higher than fellow CWL Dallas opponent, Mindfreak, to earn the sole CWL spot from the ANZ region.
Bad news – they'll have a tough time doing that given their group draw. OpTic and EnVyUs are two of the best teams in competitive CoD, a fact that has stood tall for the better part of a year. I wouldn't be surprised if EnVyUs beat OpTic in group play, but both should advance to the upper bracket, leaving Red Reserve and Mindfreak in the unenviable position of playing through the lower bracket.
Expected to advance: Team EnVyUs, OpTic Gaming
Group B: eUnited, Infused, Cloud9, Mindfreak
Will the real eUnited and Cloud9 please step up? Following their first place finish at CWL Atlanta, eUnited promptly dropped the ball at CWL Paris, failing to make it to the playoffs portion of the tournament, finishing in 13-16th place. Cloud9 managed to finish worse, ending CWL Paris in a disappointing 17-20th place, their second consecutive 17-20th placement after the CWL Las Vegas runner-ups failed to deliver at CWL Atlanta.
That makes a positive showing at CWL Dallas all the more important for both teams, albeit for drastically different reasons. While eUnited locked up their spot in the CWL Pro League following the Atlanta win, chants of "one-time wonders" will only grow louder with another poor showing. For Cloud9, a top-10 placing in Dallas likely guarantees the team a spot in the Pro League, as the Patrick "Aches" Price-led team currently sits in eighth place with nine teams from North America earning an invite. But it's not too hard to envision a fall, especially given the lack of success the team has shown in recent months.
Expected to advance: Infused, eUnited
Group C: FaZe Clan, Luminosity Gaming, eLevate, Fnatic
With all due respect to OpTic Gaming and Team EnVyUs, FaZe Clan has easily been the most consistent team in competitive Call of Duty throughout the 2017 season. While they've yet to win a major tournament, FaZe Clan has been in the thick of things come the final day in each of the last four major tournaments, with their "worst" finish occurring in CWL Atlanta, where they placed 5-6th place. That trend should continue at CWL Dallas, as FaZe Clan are in arguably the easiest group of the tournament.
Their main competition will likely be Luminosity Gaming, who've quietly been one of the most consistent teams in North America when it comes to LAN competitions this season. While Luminosity could slip out of the Pro Points ladder with a dreadful performance at Dallas, they're more than likely guaranteed a spot in the CWL Pro League, meaning the Fort Worth Convention Center could serve as a chance for LG to vault up or down in the Pro Points standings depending on their performance.
Expected to advance: FaZe Clan, Luminosity Gaming
Group D: Rise Nation, Splyce, Enigma6 Group, PNDA Gaming
While Group D is unlikely to factor in much when it comes to the final day of the tournament, it'll provide plenty of excitement leading up to it, as both Enigma6 and PNDA Gaming join Cloud9 as the final three teams to get a spot in the CWL Pro League were it to start today. Depending on which teams join the respective groups from the open bracket, PNDA is the most in danger, as at least four teams are within spitting distance of their Pro Point total. If PNDA carry over their performance from MLG Atlanta, however, where they placed 7-8th place and nearly knocked off OpTic Gaming, it won't matter.
Same goes for Enigma6 who've managed to make their presence felt at every event they've attended. Led by Jordan "General" Holloway, Enigma6 are a young team on the rise and could be one top-3 placing away from becoming household names in the competitive CoD scene. Whether that happens at CWL Dallas remains to be seen, but one thing's for certain – they won't be going away anytime soon.
Expected to advance: Splyce, Rise Nation
