- Halo Infinite is expected to be released in December and there's already a tournament scheduled
- Will the new Halo game push more CDL amateur and pro players to switch?
- Plenty of pro players have started with Halo and continued their career at CDL or have participated and won tournaments in both games
In light of the upcoming release of Halo Infinite, we can't help but wonder if CDL pros and amateurs will decide to switch to Halo. There are already plenty of players who have played both Halo and CoD but will Infinite push more players to switch? We will have to wait and see.
CDL Players Switching to Halo: Not Something Never Seen Before
Announced in 2019, the Call of Duty League (CDL) launched in 2020. The CDL follows a similar model that is used by the Overwatch League. Regardless, many CDL players have long wanted the return of the Open Bracket. Now, in light of the upcoming release of Halo Infinite, we may observe a switch in players from CDL to Halo. But why is that? Well, some pro CDL players have started as Halo players, while others have won tournaments for both games.
Another reason which may push some CDL players to Halo is upcoming competitions such as the HCS Kick Off Major Raleigh 2021, set to launch soon after the release of the game. The tournament will pit the best Halo teams against each other in an event with a prize pool starting from $250,000. The HCS Kick Off Major Raleigh starts on December 17 and will run through December 19.
If we focus on competitions alone, we do see that the last time Halo had a major event was back in 2018. This is when the Halo World Championship took place. Considering the lack of events, this may be a reason why some Halo players have switched to CDL. Most importantly, the launch of the new Halo game and the future events may be the reasons why players who have shifted to CDL will return to Halo.
An Exodus or Natural Interest in Halo?
Looking at pro players, we do see quite a few who have switched from or to CDL. One such player is Anthony “Shotzzy” Cuevas-Castro. Back in 2018, he won the Halo World Championship, but the pro also has a CDL title from 2020, when he won the Call of Duty World Championship.
Another pro player that started in Halo and switched to CoD is Matthew “FormaL” Piper. Although he started with Halo, he has won the 2017 CoD World Championship as MVP. Additionally, FormaL has won more than a dozen first places within CoD tournaments.
While those are only a couple of examples, once Halo Infinite comes out, there are undoubtedly going to be more surprises with pro CoD players switching to Halo. Moreover, considering the hype that is continuously building around the game, it may also attract amateur players who have started with CoD but want to ride the wave with Infinite.
