The Call of Duty League has announced some changes to how the amateur Challengers division will be run for the 2021 season.

In the inaugural Call of Duty League season a new way for amateur players to compete and make a name for themselves was introduced. The Call of Duty Challengers division held regular Cups and Ladders. Here, up and coming players could earn Challengers Points, and if they’re good enough, some cash. This won't be changing, Cups and Ladders will still be here for the 2021 season, but there are some changes and improvements.

Challengers Scouting Series

The Call of Duty Challengers Scouting Series will bring together the best of 2020’s challengers and unsigned pros for a four-day event where they can show their talent in scrims hosted by Call of Duty League teams. CDL coaches will be able to draft a squad from this pool of players. Then they compete against rival coaches and general managers from the CDL.

On December 15-18 2020, the top amateur talent will join unsigned pros for a multi-day scrimmage event. A total of 128 players will be invited (64 from North America and 64 from Europe), and they will all have a unique scouting report provided by the League. While 64 from each region will be invited, only 48 will be drafted into matches on each day.

The Call of Duty Challengers Scouting Series is an exceptional opportunity for amateur players to show their talent to Call of Duty League teams. We have already seen amateur players being picked up as substitutes for this season, and the Scouting Series could see even more join the CDL.

Challengers Elite

The CDL has also announced another event for the Challengers division for 2021. This is the Challengers Elite. Here, teams will compete in qualifiers to earn their spot in the Elite League. The top eight teams will qualify and play in a round-robin format with the best teams competing in a playoff bracket to secure their spot in next season's Elite League.

The Challengers Elite is only open to North America and Europe for 2021, so we may not get to see teams such as Renegades compete. However, it is yet again a very good way for the best amateur players to show their skill and compete at the highest level possible without being on a professional team.

It seems that the Call of Duty League has heavily invested in the Challengers division this year. Some challengers matches will feature a dedicated broadcast, and players are expected to receive much more spotlight than before. This is good to see, and it should result in more young talent coming through such as Owakening and Mack from the 2020 season.