Historic Return to Europe: Call of Duty League Stage 1 Major Madrid 2025
The Call of Duty League made its triumphant return to European soil in 2025, marking the end of a five-year absence from the region. Madrid played host to the Stage 1 Major, delivering a tournament filled with surprising upsets and culminating in an unforgettable championship match.
Tournament Format and Early Surprises
The competition utilized a double-elimination bracket structure, with initial seeding determined by CDL rankings. The tournament’s opening rounds produced immediate drama when Miami Heretics stunned OpTic Texas in an early upset. OpTic’s struggles continued as they faced elimination against CAR Royal Ravens, ultimately resulting in a premature exit and a disappointing 7th-8th place finish.
Championship Sunday Drama
Atlanta FaZe entered the tournament with momentum from their Minor victory and maintained their strong form through to the finals. However, the championship match against Los Angeles Thieves proved to be an epic confrontation. The best-of-7 series went the full distance, with many fans and analysts later declaring it one of the most intense finals in league history.
Viewership Analysis
While the Stage 1 Major saw a slight decline in viewership compared to the previous year’s event (approximately 7-8% decrease), the tournament maintained strong audience engagement through expanded broadcasting options. The shift to European time zones and OpTic’s early elimination likely contributed to the minor viewership dip.
Broadcasting Evolution
The 2025 Stage 1 Major marked significant growth in broadcast diversity. Veterans Seth “Scump” Abner and Thomas “ZooMaa” Paparatto led English-language coverage, while French star streamer Corentin “Gotaga” Houssein brought substantial viewership from the French-speaking community. This followed Gentle Mates’ acquisition and rebranding of the Los Angeles Guerrillas to Los Angeles Guerrillas M8 in late 2024. French-language broadcasts accounted for 4.5% of total watch time, marking a significant shift from previous English-dominated coverage.
Notable Viewership Peaks
The tournament’s peak viewership came during the Los Angeles Guerrillas M8 versus OpTic Texas match on day two, reaching 233,789 concurrent viewers. The grand finals secured the second-highest peak at 213,213 viewers.
Looking Ahead
The competitive season continues with Stage 2 Major Qualifiers beginning February 14th, as teams compete for CDL Points and favorable seeding. The Stage 2 Major is scheduled for March 20-23 in Dallas, hosted at OpTic Texas’s home venue.
