Podcaster says Call of Duty League will return in December

The Call of Duty League (CDL) will return in December, syncing its 2026 season launch closely with the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. The timing mirrors the CDL’s approach last year, when the Black Ops 6 season began in December 2024.

The news was confirmed during the COD Next 2025 broadcast, where commentator Miles Ross revealed that the league will resume before the year ends. He added that the full schedule for the 2026 Call of Duty League campaign will be unveiled in the coming weeks.

Ross’s claims are not backed up by any official sources, with Activision or Call of Duty League yet to make any announcement, but his mail has been accurate in the past. 

The 2025 season wrapped in June with OpTic Texas defending their championship crown, and the early December restart brings a six-month off-season to a close. Beyond the season start, Treyarch Studios, which is part of the Activision empire, has remained quiet on what new features or format changes may accompany the Black Ops 7 esports circuit.

Speculation is already swirling about the league’s future, with reports suggesting that the CDL could return to the UK in 2026 — its first British stop since the CDL London Home Series in 2020.

Starting in December gives franchises a window to lock in final roster moves before competition begins. Several teams, including the Carolina Royal Ravens, Toronto Ultra, Boston Breach, Cloud9 New York, Los Angeles Guerrillas M8, and Vancouver Surge, have yet to announce their full line-ups.

With last year’s CDL Championship setting viewership records for the franchised era, all eyes will be on whether the 2026 season can raise the bar once again for Call of Duty esports.

Esports betting sites are yet to launch odds on the COD League, with these markets expected to open in the weeks leading up to the start, with more details about exact dates set to drop in the coming weeks.