Call of Duty League franchise London Royal Ravens has rebranded following a move to North Carolina, United States.
The franchise has been renamed to the Carolina Royal Ravens. As a result of the move, there are now no Call of Duty franchises outside of North America.
Call of Duty League did have a representative in France until late 2022, when Paris Legion moved to Las Vegas.
The London Royal Ravens were among the inaugural list of franchises that competed in the Call of Duty League when it started in 2020. Part of Infinite Reality — the parent company of esports conglomerate ReKTGlobal — the Call of Duty franchise announced British content creator Vikram ‘Vikkstar’ Singh Barn as a co-owner of the team back in 2020.
Carolina Royal Ravens’ decision comes before the start of the 2024 Call of Duty League season, which is likely to commence sometime at the end of the year. Exact details surrounding the season have yet to be revealed.
There were worries surrounding the future of Call of Duty League, given that Activision Blizzard has offered a payout to Overwatch League franchises to exit the league. However, Royal Ravens’ relocation and other moves by CoD franchises seem to indicate the esport will continue with its franchised model.
The organisation made the following statement on social media: “We’re thrilled to announce we’re taking our royal wings to the Queen City, Charlotte, [North Carolina].
“We want to thank all of our London fans. From hosting the very first CDL Major for you in 2020 to this very moment, your passion for our team and the games we’ve played are unrivalled. We will always be grateful for the four years we spent flying the flag for the UK and the support you gave us.”
Carolina Royal Ravens isn’t the only franchise to rebrand its slot. Whilst remaining in Florida, Misfits has announced a collaboration with Team Heretics that sees its Call of Duty League team be renamed to Miami Heretics.