Call of Duty League (CDL) franchise Vegas Falcons has announced its relocation to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the 2026 season.
Alongside the relocation, the franchise has also signed 2021 world champion McArthur ‘Cellium‘ Jovel to its roster.
Announced on September 9th, 2025, Cellium joins the rebranded Riyadh Falcons after seven years representing FaZe Clan and Atlanta FaZe during the Call of Duty World League (CWL) and the first five seasons of the CDL.
Cellium is coming off the back of a successful Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 season, winning the first two Majors of the year, scoring second place at Major 4, and a top-six finish at the CDL Championship 2025 event.
He becomes the third North American player to join the franchise since Team Falcons acquired the slot from French esports company c0ntact Gaming.
After fielding an all-Saudi lineup during the early stages of the Black Ops 6 season, the franchise recruited former OpTic Texas player Amer ‘Pred’ Zulbeari and two-time world champion Alec ‘Arcitys‘ Sanderson to its roster.
Having spent most of last season at the bottom of the league table, the signing of Cellium is a statement of intent. Widely regarded as one of the best assault rifle players of the CDL era, the eyes of the community will look to see whether Riyadh Falcons can contend with the established names.
More Changes Coming?
As a result of Team Falcons relocating to Riyadh, the city of Las Vegas, Nevada, is now available for franchises to secure. A Breaking Point report claims Atlanta FaZe is looking at a rebrand, with Las Vegas potentially becoming the franchise’s new home.
In addition to Atlanta FaZe’s potential rebrand, talks of the Carolina Royal Ravens changing identity continue to intensify after the franchise recently abandoned its trademark. It is rumoured that Spacestation Gaming is looking at expanding into the CDL, although its route of entry remains unclear.
