After an action-packed weekend of online qualifiers, the 12 teams competing in the first Call of Duty Challengers Elite of the Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 season have been decided.
Taking place from January 7th to 22nd, the season’s opening Elite event will see the top amateur teams from EMEA and North America compete across two regional leagues for a chance to cement their place as the best rosters outside of the Call of Duty League (CDL).
Before the first round of matches begins, Esports Insider takes a closer look at some of the notable names competing in the tournament.
Call Of Duty Challengers Elite 1 North America Teams
Of the 32 teams that competed in the online qualifiers, 12 secured a spot in Black Ops 7’s first Elite event. The competition includes a mix of former World Champion and rising talents looking to cement their place within Call of Duty’s upper echelons.
The full list of teams is as follows:
- Team Phantomz
- Huntsmen
- OMiT Brooklyn
- Next Threat Black
- Falcons Academy White
- FiveFears
- Project Notorious
- Falcons Academy Green
- High Treason
- Stallions Black
- CABAL Esports Team
- Tellride Bush Gaming
Huntsmen successfully navigated its way through the qualifiers, conceding just one map across its two upper bracket matches to secure Elite qualification. For former Halo World Champion Jonathan ‘Renegade’ Willette, it’s his first time competing in an Elite since making the switch to Call of Duty.
Elsewhere, Falcons Academy White features two-time World Champion Alec ‘Arcitys‘ Sanderson, along with 2023 World Champion Preston ‘Priestahh‘ Greiner. The team scored a second-place finish in the second online cup, positioning itself among the stronger contenders.
Last year’s Challengers Finals runner-up OMiT Brooklyn returns to the Elite for Black Ops 7 with German prospect Mohammed ‘Alluka‘ Bindal headlining a roster that also includes Carson ‘Brack‘ Newberry and Tyler ‘FeLo‘ Johnson. The pair are no strangers to CDL action, having represented Florida Mutineers and Dallas Empire in 2020.
Call Of Duty Challengers Elite 1 EMEA Teams
For the 2026 season, Activision has integrated the Middle East into the European Challengers circuit, giving players from the region an opportunity to showcase their skills in online competitions.
Here are all the EMEA teams competing in the first Elite of 2026:
- Clutch Rayn Esports
- Lewtees Lions
- Dark Horse Esports
- Team TKReedy
- Project 7 Esports
- Night Vibes
- ROC Esports
- Team D3L1V3R
- OpTic Academy
- Hybrid Nations
- Treaty1Gaming
- The Process
The all-French roster of Clutch Rayn Esports has emerged as one of EMEA’s early frontrunners following consecutive second-place finishes in Cup 2 and 3. Thomas ‘Lynz‘ Gregorio previously competed for Minnesota Rokkr and Los Angeles Guerrillas M8 before returning to Challengers in 2025, later reaching top three at last year’s Challengers Finals.
Cup 3 winners Project 7 Esports will look to continue its solid start to the season with a strong showing in the Elite. Former London Royal Ravens player Harry ‘Harry‘ Payne has dominated Challengers in recent years, with several event victories to his name.
He is joined by Felix ‘FDot‘ McKee, who showcased a standout performance in the Black Ops 6 season with two Elite victories under the Team Notorious banner.
How to Watch Call of Duty Challengers Elite 1
Select Challengers Elite matches will be broadcast on the Call of Duty Challengers YouTube channel, allowing fans to keep track of the action.
Both the North American and EMEA Elite competitions feature a $57,000 (~£42,257) prize pool and tens of thousands of Pro Points available for the top performers. Pro Points are used to determine seeding for Challengers Open events, which run alongside the four Majors taking place throughout the year.
