‘Call Of Duty’ Esports Expands Into LA And Minnesota
With Overwatch League still popular, one can assume Activision should expand upon what they are doing. Call Of Duty being one of their biggest franchises it is surprising there is not an esports league for it. That certainly seems to be changing.
In a press release from Activision Blizzard, we have news that two new cities have joined five others in buying in on the ground floor. These two new cities are-
Los Angeles, CA – Immortals Gaming Club (IGC) is the world’s first vertically integrated, truly global esports and gaming company. IGC owns and operates IGC esports, which houses the company’s competitive esports brands Immortals, Los Angeles Valiant (Overwatch League), OpTic Gaming and MIBR; and Gamers Club, the leading matchmaking platform and community hub for gamers in Brazil and Latin America.
Minnesota – WISE Ventures, an investment fund based in Manhattan focused on early and growth stage investment opportunities that leverage our strategic value. Led by an ownership group with deep sports & entertainment and real estate experience, WISE is able to assess, champion, and add value to next-gen companies in those industries.
The previous cities are Atlanta, Dallas, New York, Paris, and Toronto.
Bobby Kotick, the CEO of Activision had this to say-
“I’m excited to welcome the newest teams, Los Angeles and Minnesota, to our incredible lineup – Atlanta, Dallas, New York, Paris and Toronto – for Call of Duty esports. Together, these ownership groups represent some of the very best organizations in esports and traditional sports who will join us in paving the way for the future of professional, city-based competition for Call of Duty.”
Overwatch League has been very enjoyable to watch as of late. The league logged a new viewership record in the stage 2 playoffs of 2019. Call Of Duty is a different giant all together. Last year was the first year since 2013. And it was only the third time since 2008 that Call Of Duty did not finish as the top selling game of the year. It even took Rockstar releases in Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption 2 to dethrone the FPS.
Something that would be interesting would be how an annual game affects the league. Would each season be about playing the new title? Is Activision planning on changing things up given the rumors of Sledgehammer not being involved in the three year release cycle? Or maybe they will focus on Modern Warfare once it releases? There are a bunch of questions without answers.
If done right, a Call Of Duty esports League could be very lucrative for Activision Blizzard. Call Of Duty has always been a major esports player, but this scale could attract a new viewer. In any case, I am looking forward to seeing how they set it up.
David Burdette is a gamer/content creator from TN. He loves Playstation, Marvel, Star Wars, and many other fandoms. You can check out his content at YouTube.com/SplitEnd89 or on Twitter @SplitEnd89.
