CDL 2026 Major II Power Rankings – Who can be crowned UK royalty?

For the first time since before the pandemic, competitive Call of Duty is returning to the UK, with the stalwart region hosting CDL 2026 Major II in coalition with DreamHack Birmingham. It’s been half a decade in the making, and for most of the league, it’s the first time heading outside of the US to compete.

With the CDL 2026 season still feeling the ramifications of a massive rostermania shakeup, Major II is poised as one of the most evenly matched international events we’ve had in years. But after a long slog of qualifying rounds, the seeds have been sown for Birmingham, with many upsets on the cards.

So, here’s a look at the top ten teams at the CDL 2026 Major II who will be competing for the monarch’s crown, evaluating who has that British Bulldawg in them, and who will be heading back to the States with beans on their face.

CDL 2026 Major II Power Rankings

10 – Vancouver Surge

Surge took a big risk in the off-season, choosing to pair their star man, Isaiah “Gwinn” Gwinn, with a Halo superstar that lacked the know-how of Call of Duty esports – and it’s safe to say that the gamble left them up Schitt’s Creek. Kaci “Lqgend” Sabri might become a demon in the future, but for Vancouver Surge, their Black Ops 7 campaign started with a dismal, drowning, and deflated cry for help.

After finding out that the grass isn’t greener on the other side, Surge reunited the Ravens’ dynamic duo that succeeded in Black Ops 6, as Thomas “TJHaly” Haly joined the team for Major 2, only to find that the side of the grass has been scorched too.

Gwinn and Teej have yet to find the spark that saw them reach second in a Minor and fourth in a Major last year. It’s left Surge in a tough spot for the CDL 2026 Major II. While there’s clearly chemistry between the two, there’s a clear ceiling that hasn’t been pierced, and this time around, the ARs haven’t been able to help them out. Major 2 likely won’t be the end of Gweej, but the international event may have come too soon for the roster that needs to find more synergy and slaying power. 

If there’s a glimmer of hope for Surge, it’s that a misfiring KOI Toronto awaits them in the first elimination match, and, as the worst two Search and Destroy teams in the league, the wooden spoon derby could come down to whichever team has put in the hours to unearth some well-needed strats on the round-based mode.

9 – KOI Toronto

If not for the heroics of Joseph “JoeDeceives” Romero, KOI Toronto could have found themselves at the bottom of the pack in Major 2 qualifying. A dismal Major 1 finals has seen the staple brand fall short of the standards it has set over sustained years of success. While JoeyD actually tops the charts league-wide for slaying, especially on Hardpoint, staples like Tobias “CleanX” Jønsson simply haven’t been shooting back.

Bizarrely, though, KOI has beaten two of the best three teams in the league (including a 3-0 stomping over Miami Heretics) while sitting on a poor 5-6 record in qualifying, adding a glimmer of hope to the camp. There’s clearly a winning formula for Toronto to expose, but it’s been too few and far between for them to be considered as a solid mid-table team.

While a handful of changes have been made in the Black Ops 6 season so far, the acquisition of Nicholas “Kips” Lyons has been one of the best bits of business yet. With the former Huntsman young gunner being moulded in the same camp as Mason “Mercules” Ramsey. Already posting a positive 1.05 K/D across qualifiers, including a 1.19 in SnD, the new rookie might be the cog that gets the Toronto train chugging for CDL 2026 Major II. Which could reignite the CDL as a whole.

8 – Carolina Royal Ravens

As the penultimate team in the Play-In bracket, Carolina Royal Ravens find themselves on the cusp of being a truly competitive team, and were incredibly lucky to be in the bottom half. In fact, the last five qualifiers have only seen one fault at the hands of FaZe Vegas, and the young, confident team has found some confidence to come into the event hot.

Oscillating around the breakout rookie Logan “Lurqxx” Brown, the Ravens continue to impress in moments. But consistency in respawns has been their biggest downfall so far. Still, Carolina is currently the fourth-best team in Search and Destroy, and when knockout brackets come calling, the playbook will be their best friend.

So far, LAN has been an issue for the team, flopping out with a whimper in Major I, and to start moving up the ladder, Major II needs to be a stage where they arrive without any nerves. 

7 – G2 Minnesota

At the start of the season, the G2 Minnesota team was judged quickly and harshly, having pulled in a roster of players that have League experience but, either found themselves outcast and scapegoated in poor teams or have peaked and are in freefall.

The player in the latter category, Caesar “Skyz” Bueno, was the biggest eyebrow raiser in this team, failing to hit the heights of the MW2 Subliners outfit during periods at OpTic and LAG M8 in Black Ops 6. However, leader Skyz and the trio of last-chance-saloon rebels have found a lot of positives in the second split. It could pay off for the CDL 2026 Major II.

What the G2 team has done specifically well is beat those teams that should be beneath them – sounds easy, but they’ve showcased that they are a cut above the rest of the pack. Although they have been well beaten by the teams above them. It’s respectable to understand your limitations, and Minnesota is doing a great job at ensuring that they are the ‘best of the rest’.

Search and Destroy has once again been a pillar of their success so far, showing that there’s no problem in the way they shoot and execute strats. But as more teams turn to the pivotal game mode, it’s crucial that G2 start picking up the pace in respawns and nail down either Hardpoint or Overload to deliver consistent 3-1 sets.

6 – FaZe Vegas

Having ended the qualifiers on a three-win streak, FaZe has papered over the cracks that started showing in the early weeks of Major 2. But damning losses to Miami Heretics, Vancouver Surge, and Boston Breach have left question marks over the synergy between this newly-formed team. 

Although Chris “Simp” Lehr is typically brutal in Hardpoint, the team has done what G2 and other mid-table teams haven’t by capitalising on Overload. Boasting the highest round win rate and team-wide K/D ratio in Overload so far, the FaZe boys are often using dominant gunplay to secure comfortable wins. Combined with the second-best SnD record in Major 2 Qualifying, FaZe are on the way to being a force to be reckoned with again.

So, why aren’t they higher? Well, it’s a conversion issue. There’s a lack of ice on this roster so far, and it’s becoming an issue. Highlighted by the complete collapse in a 4v1 versus Lurqxx, FaZe isn’t making the most of the positions it works so hard to get into. While having one of the best squads, in terms of raw talent, Vegas needs to find more ice before it moves up the ladder in CDL 2026 Major II.

5 – LA Thieves

On paper, LA Thieves should be a top two team, if not the best in the league. But one half of the tiny terrors has yet to find success away from his old organisation. Tyler “aBeZy” Pharris’ arrival on Thieves has been without energy, cohesion, and confidence, and the highly-rated SMG star simply hasn’t gotten going.

A disconnect between aBeZy and Paco “HyDra” Rusiewiez has left Thieves with gaping holes in their formations, and this was only heightened by Kenneth “Kenny” Williams not being able to use his magic to coordinate the team.

Ultimately, it was Kenny who was let go heading into the CDL 2026 Major II, with few complaints as leadership and gunplay both faltered, yet Thieves face an uphill climb to be the competitive and dynamic force they should be.

The shining light so far has been new boy Jeremiah “Nium” Harrison, who has injected the roster with pace and passion. Thieves have beaten every bottom-six team in their qualifiers, with Nium fitting in well, but it’s impossible to move them up the power rankings unless they start beating those above them.

4 – Riyadh Falcons

Falcons are the most difficult team in the league to work out. I could have placed them anywhere between third and seventh, but you simply can’t look past their record against the best teams in this list, this split.

Ending OpTic’s ten-match unbeaten streak was just the cherry on the top of an impressive foray against the teams around them. Notable wins over LA Thieves, FaZe Vegas, Carolina Royal Ravens, and Toronto KOI move them to the top of the middle pack. 

Specifically, the roster has solidified itself as one of the best Overload teams in the game. Second only to OpTic in terms of win percentage and K/D, even beating the Green Wall in their last matchup, the slaying power and takeover-ability of Amer “Pred” Zulbeari and McArthur “Cellium” Jovel, combined with the bulldog’s coordination, have seen them solidify Overload as an almost guaranteed win.

The biggest hitch for the Falcons is Search and Destroy. It’s the game mode that wins championships, and a 42 percent win percentage needs to improve if they want to move up the ladder and win chips this season. It’s also worth bearing in mind that, while they appear to be peaking higher than the middle pack teams, they need to ensure that complacency isn’t kicking in against the ‘winnable’ opponents. Achilles has a heel, and Falcons have bottom-half underdogs in the CDL 2026 Major II.

3 – Paris Gentle Mates

There’s no denying that at the peak of their powers, Gentle Mates have the capability to be far and above the best team in the league. After all, they are Major I champions and deservedly so. But qualification for Birmingham was a different story than what we’d seen before, and there are some glaring flaws in their gameplay.

A disconnect between the SMGs, mixed with off-field personal issues, has thwarted the Mates, with all eyes being pinned on Dylan “Envoy” Hannon.

Starting Major 2 in the Play-Ins against a raw Carolina Royal Ravens leaves a lot of uncertainty in the Paris camp. With a heavy fan contingency in Europe, it could be a make-or-break pressure cooker for a turbulent roster.

2 – Miami Heretics

Capitalising on the shortcomings of the rest of the pack, Miami Heretics are the sharpest shooters in the league. They’re consistently posting up league-topping figures when it comes to KD. Rallying behind the untradeable David “RenKoR” Isern and Diego “SupeR” Escudero, who lead the league in the kill ratio department, Miami has enjoyed the most stable performances across all game modes.

Fourth in Hardpoint win percentage, third in Search and Destroy, and fourth in Overload, only OpTic has been able to outscore them across the board, leaving Heretics as a jack-of-all-trades that will outgun all but one opponent. 

Having been on the cusp of breaking into the upper echelons of the CDL for the best part of two seasons, the Spanish org is in its healthiest position yet. If those guns warm up on stage, there could be a first chip on the way for this formidable roster

The CDL 2026 Major II might be the best chance Heretics get for silverware, with Gentle Mates, FaZe, and LA Thieves all growing into Black Ops 7, but they will need to go one step further and believe that they can break down OpTic with the EU buff.

1 – OpTic Texas

Undeniable. Unanimous. Unbeatable. Well, almost. In seasons gone by OpTic Texas has been a team that lacks the killer edge when it comes to online play and usually bursts into life for LAN. But the organisation has now transformed behind a wonderkid who only accepts one thing: top spot. 

Mercules has pushed OpTic to become a phenomenal, well-oiled machine that cannot stop winning. Carrying momentum from the breakout Black Ops 6 season that put the Green Wall back on top. Possibly carry them to victory in CDL 2026 Major II. It’s a new steamrolling mindset for OpTic that is paying the utmost dividends.

Arguably, the biggest beneficiary of a new set of standards is Cuyler “Huke” Garland, who has stepped up and become the best player in the game. Statistically, it’s Merc that tops the objectives and points per game tallies, and Anthony “Shottzy” Cuevas-Castro who leads in the slaying department. However, Huke, as the ice-cool glue that bonds the team together, has found the confidence and ego that comes with a two-time world champion status, finally making that step from the second-tier SMG level to Black Ops 7’s finest.

Together with the evergreen Brandon “Dashy” Otell, this is the most formidable roster that OpTic has boasted since the dynasty, and it will take an almighty effort to usurp them.