The Call of Duty League (CDL) is set to return in December, shortly after the launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7.
A December start follows a similar formula to the Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 season, which began in December 2024.
During the COD Next 2025 broadcast, CDL commentator Miles Ross revealed that the franchise league will be starting before the end of 2025. In addition to unveiling when the league returns to action, Ross also shared that the full season schedule will arrive in the coming weeks.
The 2025 CDL season concluded in late June, with OpTic Texas winning the CDL Championship 2025 event, defending the title it won in 2024. An early December return will bring a six-month off-season to an end.
Aside from information on its return and the reveal of the upcoming schedule, Treyarch remained tight-lipped on what it has in store for the Black Ops 7 esports circuit.
It is rumoured that the CDL is returning to the UK in 2026, marking the first time the league has held an event across the pond since the CDL London Home Series in 2020.
CDL 2026 Season Start Date
Starting the 2026 CDL season in early December will enable the league to capitalise on Black Ops 7’s increased attention following its November 14th launch.
The date also gives franchises time to finalise any roster moves before the action gets underway. The Carolina Royal Ravens, Toronto Ultra, Boston Breach, Cloud9 New York, Los Angeles Guerrillas M8, and Vancouver Surge have yet to reveal which players will be representing the franchises during the upcoming season.
Last year’s CDL Championship became the most-watched event of the franchised era. It will be interesting to see if the 2026 season can reach the same heights or set a higher bar for Call of Duty esports.
