The Call of Duty League (CDL) has revealed the CDL map set and competitive settings for the 2022/23 Modern Warfare Two (MW2) season.
These settings include the official map set and settings for search and destroy (SnD), hardpoint and control modes, as well as all of the restricted items under the official ruleset.
The current CDL map set is as follows:
Search and Destroy
- Al Bagra Fortress
- Breenburgh Hotel
- El Asilo
- Embassy
- Mercado Las Almas
Hardpoint
- Al Bagra Fortess
- Breenburgh Hotel
- Embassy
- Mercado Las Almas
- Zarqwa Hydroelectric
Control
- Al Bagra Fortess
- Breenburgh Hotel
- El Asilo
Activision changes CDL map set following backlash
Initially there was some controversy with the reveal, as the map set that the CDL first announced included only two control maps, the Farm 18 map with SnD which teams haven’t been scrimming on, plus it lacked fan favourite map Breenburgh Hotel in any of the three modes.
Ironically, the two control maps that were featured in the original list (Embassy and Mercado Las Almas) weren’t even being practised by professional players, as neither featured on the final adjusted map set.
This announcement caused a big stir on social media, with many players claiming they weren’t even scrimming half the maps on the initial post.
Toronto Ultra’s UK substitute Charlie ‘Hicksy’ Hicks reacted via Twitter, saying: “Two control maps that no one has been scrimming for the past week 😂😂😂”
Boston Breach Academy’s UK talent Ben ‘Beans’ McMellon retweeted the initial announcement, saying: “Does anyone else not find it incredible that pros DON’T pick the map sets?”
CDL team Boston Breach’s coach – iconic UK ex-pro Zach ‘Zed’ Denyer also reacted to the inclusion of Embassy control in the original plans with this tweet:
Thankfully the list was quickly adjusted, most notably reintroducing Breenburgh Hotel into all three game modes.
Why are some maps missing from the CDL map set?
Breenburgh Hotel’s absence from the initial announcement was disappointing but not surprising. It’s no secret that Activision have had some licensing issues with the map, as its appearance replicates the real-life location of The Conservatorium Hotel in Amsterdam.
However, Breenburgh Hotel was quickly added to the updated map set, but its future in the game is still uncertain.
Rumblings of the map potentially being removed entirely from competitive play have been around for a while at this point, with OpTic Texas’ Brandon ‘Dashy’ Otell revealing on stream last week that the map may potentially not be played competitively past Major One:
Hotel is not first map the developer has had licensing issues with in this title. Beta map Valderas Museum was already removed in the game for its likeness to the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, and Crown Raceway is also facing trouble for its direct similarity to the real Marina Bay Formula 1 racetrack in Singapore. It’s still in the game, but is not in the map set.
Maps weren’t the only talking point in the competitive settings.
What’s happening with weapon pings and HP in MW2?
Another issue was the reluctance from the developers to add weapons pings to the mini map, leaving the setting on ‘UAV only’. This means (due to UAVs being banned in competitive play) that enemy shots will produce no red dots on the mini map.
It was also revealed that some CDL teams were testing 130 health in scrims, but it is stated in the official ruleset that for now the max health setting is going to stay at the normal 100.
However, last week, Minnesota Rokkr’s UK talent Ben ‘Bance‘ Bance said that after some testing, 130 health may have led to the downfall of sniping in competitive play anyway:
These competitive settings are just in their first few iterations, so expect them to change and develop throughout this year’s Call of Duty League season.
What is the Gentleman’s Agreement in the CDL for MW2?
A Gentleman’s Agreement (GA) in Call of Duty is something that’s agreed on between professional and amateur players and is not an official rule. These vary by region, split by EU, NA, APAC and LATAM.
For example, the current EU GA list for the CDL 2022-23 MW2 season includes the following bans:
- Flashes (All Modes)
- Smokes (Respawn)
- 2 Trophies (Respawn)
- 1 Smoke allowed in SND
- Kastov-74u
- Snipers
- Aug/Fennec
Related article: Every UK Call of Duty player and coach representing a CDL franchise for the 2022/23 MW2 season listed
