The Toronto Ultra surprised the world by winning the 2021 Call of Duty League Stage Two Major. Toronto beat multiple talented teams as it fought its way out of the losers bracket to face the Atlanta FaZe in the grand finals. Other high-ranked teams in the league struggled to perform or made critical mistakes that sent them home early.
The Toronto Ultra shocked the world by winning the Stage Two major. Image via Toronto Ultra.
Toronto’s unexpected victory
Toronto entered the second Major in the winner’s bracket but had a long road ahead of it. The team’s first match was against OpTic Chicago, who many expected to win the match easily. But Toronto pulled off what would be the first of many surprising victories during the second Major.
OpTic started with a 250-236 Checkmate Hardpoint victory. While the majority of the OpTic roster performed well, it was still a close match. Toronto tied the series with a Moscow Search and Destroy win that went to round 11. The team maintained their momentum in the third map with a Raid Control win and finished the series on Raid Hardpoint.
Toronto’s astonishing win against OpTic was incredible, but the team could not repeat its success against the Atlanta FaZe. FaZe sent Toronto to the losers bracket, but it would not be the last time the two teams would face off.
The Ultra’s first match in the losers bracket was against the LA Thieves. The Thieves had dominated the lower bracket so far with three straight wins against the Paris Legion, London Royal Ravens, and the New York Subliners.
But LA could not make it past Toronto and failed to win a map in the series. Toronto dominated in Raid Hardpoint with an awe-inspiring performance by Tobias Jull “CleanX” Jonsson, who finished 33 kills. LA managed to take Moscow Search and Destroy to Round 11, but Toronto’s Ben “Bance” Bance stopped the team in their tracks with 12 kills.
LA lost all hope on Control Garrison, which Toronto won 3-0. This sent Toronto to round five of the losers bracket to face the Minnesota ROKKR. Minnesota previously sent OpTic Chicago home.
Minnesota beat Toronto 250-219 in Raid Hardpoint, but this was the only map of the series the team would win. Toronto went on an impressive streak and won the next three games to close the series and move on to the losers bracket finals.
The Dallas Empire served as the final obstacle between Toronto and a rematch against the Atlanta FaZe. Atlanta also sent Dallas to the losers bracket, and both teams were itching for a chance for revenge.
Once again, Toronto lost the first map of the series, but Bance put up an incredible fight with 35 kills. Toronto tied the series with a 6-3 Search and Destroy victory, where ClenX obliterated the enemy team with 14 kills. The Ultra continued its streak in Raid Control with a 3-2 win, where Bance, CleanX, and Cameron “Cammy” Mckilligan finished with over 30 kills.
Toronto finished off Dallas with a Raid Hardpoint victory and secured its spot in the second Major’s grand finals against the Atlanta FaZe.
The grand finals marked the third consecutive match Toronto played on Sunday, and the final match was a grueling best of five series. But Toronto had successfully fought its way out of the losers bracket and was ready to take the title.
Atlanta started the series with a 250-198 Garrison Hardpoint win where Tyler “Abezy” Pharris slaughtered Toronto and finished with 32 kills. However, Toronto answered with Miami Search and Destroy and Checkmate Control wins that the team a one map advantage.
FaZe answered back by winning the following two maps with a decisive Hardpoint victory and a round 11 Moscow Search and Destroy win. This would the last time FaZe would taste victory for the rest of the Major.
Toronto shut out Atlanta in the next two maps and did not drop a single round. The team dominated in Raid Control, where Atlanta couldn’t stop CleanX, who finished with 28 kills. It was Bance’s turn in Express Search and Destroy to slay as he didn’t die once and secured ten kills in the one-sided game.
FaZe had a final chance to force the series to game nine in Checkmate Hardpoint. But the team could not hold a kill or rotate fast enough to defeat Toronto. The Toronto Ultra closed the series to secure the first place spot in the Stage Two Major, the $200,000 prize, and 75 CDL Points. Bance was also crowned the MVP of Stage Two to celebrate his fantastic performance in the Major.
The top teams have fallen
Toronto’s remarkable rise to success also meant some of the top teams failed to perform in the second Major of the season.
Atlanta FaZe has only lost two series all year, with the first being a surprise defeat at the hands of the LA Guerrillas. The team’s latest defeat was also a massive upset and showed the once-believed unstoppable team can be beaten.
The Dallas Empire is still in second place in the league and started strong in the winners’ bracket. But Atlanta sent them to the lower bracket, where the team faced Toronto and was sent home.
OpTic Chicago still sits in third place in the league, but the team only won one series during the Stage Two Major. It was sent to the losers bracket by Toronto and eliminated from the tournament by the Minnesota ROKKR.
One of the Major’s most intense moments occurred in the final Search and Destroy round between Chicago and Minnesota. Lamar “Accuracy” Abedi secured an ace to win the series and killed three OpTic players who lined up perfectly. Neither team went on to win the tournament, but it is still a significant moment that will go down in Call of Duty history.
The New York Subliners have flirted with a top-three position all year. The team is currently tied with OpTic Chicago with 140 CDL Points. But the Stage Two Major was especially rough for new York as it failed to win a single map. Its first loss was a shut-out against Dallas, and the LA Thieves sent New York home for good in the losers bracket.
The Stage Two Major established that the league is much more competitive than many fans might think as the middle-of-the-pack teams have started beating the top teams. If the LA Thieves, Minnesota ROKKR, and Toronto Ultra can maintain or slightly improve their strategies, the top teams could be shaken up.
CDL Standings
Stage Two of the 2021 Call of Duty League season has concluded. Here are the current team standings:
Atlanta Faze – 225 CDL Points
Dallas Empire – 180 CDL Points
OpTic Chicago – 140 CDL Points
New York Subliners – 140 CDL Points
Los Angeles Thieves – 110 CDL Points
Toronto Ultra – 125 CDL Points
Minnesota ROKKR – 110 CDL Points
Los Angeles Guerrillas– 70 CDL Points
Florida Mutineers– 60 CDL Points
Paris Legion – 50 CDL Points
Seattle Surge – 50 CDL Points
London Royal Ravens – 30 CDL Points
