With the fourth Major tournament for the 2022 Call of Duty League (CDL) fast approaching, the New York Subliners continue to showcase what it has in store for spectators and the 12 teams in attendance.
Throughout the Vanguard season, the CDL has allowed the tournament hosts to create their own trophies. So far, winners have played for everything ranging from shields to crowns.
For the penultimate LAN event of the year, the Subliners trophy features the Statue of Liberty splitting in two with a skull appearing in the middle. Despite plenty of excitement around the design, Activision is preventing it from appearing on the broadcast due to its "gruesome" nature.
CDL Major 4 Trophy Too Scary
On July 13, 2022, the Subliners unveiled the unique design as attention turns to the competitive action. While the Statue of Liberty is an iconic New York landmark, the skull in the middle represents the New York Fury, the Subliners' sister team competing in Valorant.
Despite the positivity surrounding the unique trophy, Activision isn't a fan. Matt Lucero, creative director for the Subliners, claims the Call of Duty publisher rejected the design meaning the trophy won't appear on the broadcast in any capacity.
"League rejected our trophy, said it was too gruesome."
Viewers might not see the eventual champions lift the reward after the Grand Final but they will still receive it off-camera.
The decision to block the trophy from appearing on camera due to its gruesome nature is a strange one considering Call of Duty is rated an 18+ across the world.
With Activision not providing any trophies at Majors, deciding to restrict the creativity of its teams is a strange move considering Vanguard matches often feature plenty of gore.
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