The Call of Duty League has faced some challenges in recent years, but the General Manager of Call of Duty Esports has expressed optimism about its current status. In fact, he believes it is thriving more than ever before.
While the peak viewership for the CDL may not be exceptionally high, recent data from Esports Charts shows some promising numbers. The highest viewership for Call of Duty esports was during the Modern Warfare 3 Tournament Old School in 2023, with nearly 440,000 views. In comparison, the Playoffs of the Call of Duty League in 2025 reached 353,500 peak viewers, and the Stage 1 Major in 2026 garnered 353,000 views.
It seems that GM Daniel Tsay views this as a positive trend. With the Stage 1 Major almost matching last year’s Playoffs viewership, there is hope for increased viewership at future events. However, it is important to note that the Call of Duty League still falls short in viewership when compared to other popular esports like League of Legends, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Counter-Strike 2, or VALORANT.
Tsay’s perspective on the current state of the Call of Duty League is one of cautious optimism. In an interview with Insider Gaming, he mentioned, “We’ve had to shift in how we execute, but we’ve really concentrated our bets into areas that I think have really propelled this forward. We’re actually the most financially stable we’ve ever been. Viewership is also the highest it has ever been.”
Call of Duty League Is Probably at Its Peak Right Now
Despite Tsay’s positive outlook, it is unlikely that the Call of Duty League will experience significant growth beyond its current state. The existing viewership levels may represent the peak for the league’s popularity.
Greg Reisdorf, former Call of Duty Multiplayer Creative Director, recently criticized Activision for the Call of Duty League’s lack of growth. The annual release of new Call of Duty games poses a challenge for the esports scene, as it prevents the establishment of consistent rivalries, storylines, and narratives.
Reisdorf highlighted the issue by stating, “You’ve mastered those skills over your lifetime, and you’ve mastered the skills of using the controller and everything else, but not really the rules of the game, because the rules of the game are changing every year or even each season for that matter.”
Addressing the lack of a solution from Activision, he suggested the introduction of a separate competitive PvP mode that remains consistent across years or a shift towards selling skins rather than releasing new games annually.
While Call of Duty remains popular as a casual game, its competitive esports scene may face limitations in growth due to the current structure. Activision’s focus appears to align more with the casual player base rather than prioritizing competitive esports expansion.