CDL Major 4 week 1 qualifiers recap: An OpTic Texas resurgence?

Following LA Thieves winning the third Major of the Call of Duty League (CDL) season, the 12 franchises were back in action a week later as attention turned to the start of Major 4.

CDL Major 4 is the final Major of the Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 cycle. Alongside securing seeding for the LAN event, the Major is one of the last opportunities for franchises to earn CDL Points to secure one of eight places available at Championship Weekend.

The opening weekend of qualifiers has concluded with several surprise results and the early frontrunners starting to pull away from the midfield.

The week one qualifiers for CDL Major 4 featured all franchises playing in one or two matches, with many hoping to begin the final online phase of the 2025 season on the front foot. As the battle for the final Champs places continues to heat up, the stakes for franchises on the cusp of qualification are high.

Major 1 and 2 champions Atlanta FaZe has started its Major 4 campaign with a clinical sweep of LA Thieves and a thrilling five-game victory against Vancouver Surge.

Atlanta is one of four franchises that has already booked its place at Championship Weekend and has a chance of becoming the first franchise in history to win two CDL championships.

The second week of qualifiers sees Atlanta take on Cloud9 New York and Los Angeles Guerrillas M8 with an excellent opportunity to extend its lead at the top of the table.

In addition to the sweep at the hands of Atlanta FaZe, Major 3 winners LA Thieves were one of five franchises that failed to score a victory during the opening week.

Miami Heretics is on the verge of securing a place at Champs, and the all-Spanish roster made a significant step towards qualification with a 3-2 win over LA Thieves.

As a result, LA Thieves ends week one of qualifiers without a win, but there is still plenty of time to earn a place in Major 4’s upper bracket.

Alongside LA Thieves, Major 3 runners-up Vancouver Surge also ended week one with no victory to its name. A 3-0 defeat to OpTic Texas combined with a narrow 3-2 loss to Atlanta FaZe was a tricky start to Major 4.

The Surge will aim to rebound with a victory against Boston Breach in week two.

For OpTic Texas, the 2025 season has featured plenty of turbulence as the Green Wall attempted to win back-to-back CDL championships.

Several roster changes combined with a lengthy run of defeats put the fan-favourite franchise on the verge of missing out on its first season-ending championship.

After a top-eight finish at Major 3, a strong Major 4 performance would be imperative if OpTic Texas was to qualify for Champs and in the opening week, the franchise swept aside Vancouver Surge to be the only franchise to end week one without conceding a map.

Has OpTic Texas finally turned a corner heading towards the end of 2025? Is there a chance for a late resurgence and perhaps the possibility of contending at the top? Only time will tell.

OpTic Texas takes on Boston Breach and the Carolina Royal Ravens in the second week of Major 4 qualifiers, offering a chance to cement its place in the upper bracket and move closer to earning a Champs spot.