Los Angeles Guerrillas Win Organization’s Maiden CDL Major

Los Angeles Guerrillas completed one of the most memorable miracle runs in the Call of Duty League (CDL) history on Sunday, April 3. The perpetual outsiders stomped Atlanta FaZe 5-2 in the CDL Major 2 finals to claim the organization’s first CDL Major trophy.

Some described it as a miracle, others as an incredible feat. Still, no matter how you see it, the Los Angeles Guerrillas’ title-winning run at CDL Major 2 was a truly phenomenal achievement.

The perpetual outsiders who have achieved little to nothing this season have subdued the league and claimed the organization’s first CDL Major title. And they did it in an emphatic style.

The Guerrillas had a rough start to the season, but they looked improved during the CDL Stage 2 qualifiers. Although the Guerrillas were far from one of the most dominant teams in the league, they did just enough to make it out of the group stage with a 3-2 record.

They won two clean games against Paris Legion (3-0) and Seattle Surge (3-2), to which they added a closely-fought 3-2 victory against Los Angeles Thieves. Still, Guerrillas weren’t nearly as convincing against Florida Mutineers (0-3) and OpTic Texas (0-3).

Having done well against weaker teams but struggled against CDL top dogs, L.A. Guerrillas entered the second Major as one of the outsiders. But they didn’t need long to prove that they’re way more than that.

Thanks to their 3-2 record, Los Angeles Guerrillas secured an upper seed for the CDL Major 2, but they quickly slipped. In the opening round of the major, the Guerrillas suffered a devastating defeat against Boston Breach, which swept them 0-3.

It was business as usual for Guerrillas, who weren’t expected to make it far this Major. Still, they quickly turned it around with a remarkable run through the lower bracket.

They first humiliated last year’s CDL Championship finalists, Toronto Ultra, with 3-1 and added an impressive 3-0 sweep of the up-and-coming London Royal Ravens. Then, in the third round, the Guerrillas clashed with an old foe in Seattle Surge, who – just like in their first meeting – stood no chance and had to admit defeat (2-3).

After making it into the penultimate round of the lower bracket, L.A. Guerrillas were set to meet with Florida Mutineers, but even they weren’t able to stop the L.A. train. Guerrillas struggled a bit in the series; however, they closed it out with 3-2.

And to cap off their lower-bracket run, the Guerrillas took down Boston Breach and avenged their defeat from round one. It was another closely fought series, but Guerrillas prevailed, eliminating Breach from the title contention.

In the CDL Major 2 finals, Los Angeles Guerrillas clashed with the reigning CDL champions, Atlanta FaZe, in what promised to be a very one-sided affair. And it was, but not in the way many expected it to be.

The finals kicked off on Hardpoint-Gavutu, which FaZe won convincingly (250-135), but they weren’t able to keep their wheels spinning. Guerrillas picked up the next four straight maps, including a 6-1 victory on Desert Siege-S&D.

After they found themselves 1-4 down, FaZe responded with a closely-fought 3-2 victory on Tuscan-Control. However, it was too late, too little, for them to make a comeback.

Los Angeles Guerrillas closed out the deal with 6-4 on Berlin-S&D, humiliating Atlanta FaZe with 5-2 and claiming the organization’s first CDL Major trophy. Besides lifting the trophy, the Guerrillas also pocketed $200,000 in tournament winnings and 65 CDL points, which got them one step closer to qualifying for the 2022 CDL Championship.

The next stage of the 2022 CDL season kicks off on May 13 in Toronto.