In an adjustment to the previous Call of Duty esports seasons, the Modern Warfare 2 season started early with the opening Major tournament of the cycle. The 12 franchises and four teams from the Challengers circuit descended on Raleigh, North Carolina for a shot at winning a share of $500,000 in prize money.
With numerous teams making roster moves during the off-season, all eyes were on LA Thieves, reigning CDL champions and one of few teams that didn’t make any changes to its starting line-up.
After five days of world-class action, the New York Subliners emerged victorious after defeating the Seattle Surge in the final.
New York Subliners start MW2 with a win
It’s fair to say that the competitive CoD scene didn’t expect New York to make it anywhere near the finals after falling to Surge in the second round of the winner’s bracket.
With a single loss putting the team of Paco “Hydra” Rusiewiez, Matthew “Kismet” Tinsley”, Cesar “Skyz” Bueno, and Preston “Priestahh” Greiner on the brink of elimination, the squad defeated Las Vegas Legion, Toronto Ultra, and pre-tournament favourites Atlanta FaZe to book their place in the final.
A comfortable 4-1 victory in a rematch against Surge cemented the Subliners as the first tournament winners of the 2023 season, securing them a cool $200,000 in prize money and 65 CDL Points that put them at the top of the league table.
CDL Major 1 results
With New York and Seattle taking the top two spots, take a look at a full table of results and prize money for the rest of the event:
Place | Team | Prize Money |
|---|---|---|
1st | New York Subliners | $200,000 |
2nd | Seattle Surge | $120,000 |
3rd | Atlanta FaZe | $80,000 |
4th | Toronto Ultra | $40,000 |
5th/6th | Los Angeles Thieves | $20,000 |
5th/6th | Las Vegas Legion | $20,000 |
7th/8th | Florida Mutineers | $10,000 |
7th/8th | Minnesota ROKKR | $10,000 |
9th/12th | Boston Breach | $0 |
9th/12th | OpTic Texas | $0 |
The next CDL event begins on January 13 with teams returning to action for the CDL Major 2 qualifiers. The three weeks of online competition will decide seeding ahead of the LAN event taking place in Boston, Massachusets.
Before you go, take a look at our guides showcasing the best Modern Warfare 2 guns and the latest intel on upcoming Modern Warfare 2 double XP events.