The finale to the Call of Duty World League Championship did not disappoint. It had its share of comebacks and heroic playmaking that the World League had promised its fans. While the European team Splyce fought valiantly, North American team EnVyUs took home its share of $800,000, and the title of best team in the world.
The top four were:
- Team EnVyUs (NA)
- Splice (EU)
- Team eLevate (NA)
- FAB Games (EU)
In the first two rounds of the Sunday finale, FAB Games was eliminated by Splyce and EnVyUs sent eLevate down to the Loser’s Bracket. FAB was the only team to beat Splyce throughout the tournament, giving them and EnVyUs the best records going into the final four. Splyce got revenge in satisfying fashion, annihilating FAB and eliminating them from the tournament. EnVyUs then faced eLevate in a very close match. Going to the fifth game, eLevate had made several comebacks in order to even out the score. However, a powerful display of map control during the final Search and Destroy round sent eLevate down to the Loser’s Bracket and EnVyUs into the finale
In the finale of the Loser’s Bracket, or the semi-finals, eLevate played Splyce in a very quick series. Splyce dominated the first round of Hardpoint, winning 250-208. In Search and Destroy, the teams took turns claiming victories until the score was 4-3 in favor of eLevate. Three consecutive victories, coupled with Splyce hero Bance’s awesome defeat of three opponents by himself, put eLevate in an 0-2 hole. The first half of Uplink put eLevate so deep in that hole that they could not mount a significant comeback (1-9 at half), and team Splyce moved on with a 10-17 victory.
The finale for this year marked history for the World League, as it would be the first time an North American team faced off against a European squad. Opening to loud U-S-A chants, the finale was frenetic. On Hardpoint, team EnVyUs looked like this would be over quickly, getting ahead 100 points. However, they took their foot off the gas and Splyce was able to rally and win 250-196. Search and Destroy opened with each team trading a pair of wins, before a game 5 last second detonation caused EnVyUs to rattle off four consecutive wins in order to take the round and tie it up. The North American squad started out hot on Uplink, amassing an 8-0 lead, but Splyce mounted a comeback and the game came down to the end, where EnVyUs would take the series lead with a 10-13 victory. Finally, on Capture the Flag, team EnVyUs and Splyce fought in a bloodbath; They had flag standoffs, heroics from EnVyUs player Jkap, and unforgettable moments that will make next year’s event hard to top. The crowd was hot for the match, and by the end, the arena was thunderous with applause for the victors, EnVyUs.
This year’s XP Event was a lot of fun, with memorable matches, cool developer insights, and first looks at the future of the popular shooting franchise. If you live in the area, you owe it to yourself to check out the event for at least a day. You won’t regret it.