Two of the Call of Duty League’s most popular teams were banished to the losers bracket of the CDL Stage Three Major today.
The Dallas Empire and Los Angeles Thieves, who each finished third in their respective groups in Stage Three group play, lost in the first round of the winners bracket. While they have not been eliminated, both teams will have tough roads to reach the grand finals.
In the first match of the winners bracket, the Empire were swept by the Atlanta FaZe. After a 41-point loss on Apocalypse Hardpoint, Dallas were outclassed by Atlanta on Checkmate Search and Destroy. Crimsix finished the game without a kill, while the duo of aBeZy and Cellium combined for 21 of their team’s 27 kills in a 6-1 victory. Although a closer result, FaZe pulled off a victory on Garrison Control to conclude the series.
The Mutineers and Thieves remained close in each of the four maps they played. Florida, led by rookie Neptune, captured the first two maps by slim margins. Neptune finished with a game-high 35 kills during a 250-233 Checkmate Hardpoint win, and then pulled off a two-vs-four ace in the final round. Despite letting Checkmate Control slip away, Florida won 250-216 on Moscow Hardpoint to advance to the winners bracket semifinals.
The Mutineers play the New York Subliners tomorrow, while FaZe faces the Toronto Ultra in a rematch of the Stage Two Major grand finals. After a day off tomorrow, the Empire will face the winner of OpTic Chicago vs. Los Angeles Guerrillas, and the Thieves will play the winner of Minnesota RØKKR vs. London Royal Ravens. The Guerrillas and Ravens pulled off wins in their losers bracket round one matches against the Seattle Surge and Paris Legion, respectively.
The CDL Stage Three Major continues tomorrow at 2pm CT.
