Call of Duty is one of the most popular esports games in the world. It has a dramatically valuable ecosystem worth tens of millions of dollars, and it boasts viewership that reaches hundreds of thousands during every major event. Every year, the best Call of Duty players take part in some high-stakes tournaments that turn them from gamers into world champions. In this breakdown, we’re taking a look at the best Call of Duty tournaments that fans can enjoy in the esports scene.

Typically, there aren’t many Call of Duty events throughout the year – or the ‘season’. That means it’s easier to digest what does exist, though. It doesn’t matter if you’re a hardcore multiplayer fan, a lover of the COD Mobile title, or if you prefer the battle royale game, Warzone, there’s something for every COD gamer. In 2024, a lot is going on – don’t miss out; read on to learn everything about the best Call of Duty tournaments in 2024.

Call of Duty Tournaments: Modern Warfare 3

Image Credit: Activision Blizzard

Since 2012, the Call of Duty esports scene has enjoyed an annual tournament that unfolds on whatever title is the most recent. In 2023, that’s Modern Warfare 2, and the Call of Duty League – the biggest competition in the space – calls that platform home. Some tournaments take place on Call of Duty’s handheld and battle royale platforms, but it’s the traditional multiplayer-based tournaments that are much more impactful.

Every year, the Call of Duty League runs, lasting several months and boasting a prize pool worth upwards of $5 million. It’s punctuated by ‘Majors’, which are LAN-based Call of Duty events that boast crowds numbering in the tens of thousands. It’s populated entirely by the best Call of Duty players in the world and every year, the World Champion is crowned. As a franchised League, the CDL is backed by tens of millions of dollars of investments, and it’s made up of some of the biggest organisations in gaming.

When it comes to a discussion about the best COD tournaments, the Call of Duty League easily sits at the top of the table. It’s backed up by Call of Duty Challengers, a lower-tier ecosystem that tends to fuel the CDL, with prospective players coming up from the Challengers circuit into the League – provided they’re good enough, of course.

Call of Duty Tournaments: Warzone

In 2020, Call of Duty Warzone was released, and it quickly became one of the most popular battle royale games of all time. Today, it has been weakened somewhat by some bizarre developmental decisions, but for the most part, it remains remarkably valuable. It’s a free-to-play battle royale title that’s available on all platforms (except for Nintendo), and it boasts tens of millions of players. It also acts as another branch of the Call of Duty esports ecosystem, and it’s becoming more impressive over time.

Since 2022, one of the most prestigious events in the Call of Duty ecosystem – the World Series of Warzone – has been the place to be in the Warzone scene. It’s a monumental spectacle that b features a multi-million-dollar prize pool, and it can pull in just as many viewers as the Call of Duty League. As the year unravels, there are more ‘low-tier’ tournaments in the Warzone space – these are typically hosted by organisations in the space such as OpTic and FaZe.

Call of Duty Tournaments: Mobile

Image Credit: Tribe Gaming

There are some dramatically valuable Call of Duty Mobile tournaments unfolding through 2023. In 2022, the Call of Duty Mobile World Championship featured a massive $1.7 million prize pool, with the victor, Tribe Gaming, walking away with a huge share worth $700,000.

Like the World Series of Warzone, the Call of Duty Mobile World Championship begins with earlier stages that are open to all comers. It’s a massively exciting event, especially considering the size of the player base for Call of Duty Mobile. As of 2022, more than 500 million downloads have been completed, making it stand out as one of the best Call of Duty games ever by sheer numbers.

As mobile gaming becomes increasingly popular, so too does mobile esports. Once upon a time, nobody would have believed that a device capable of fitting in the palm of your hand could serve as the basis for a tournament worth millions of dollars, but here we are today. Every year, Call of Duty tournaments unfold on the handheld-based platform, and every year, they’re dramatically popular.

Countless smaller tournaments take place in the Call of Duty Mobile ecosystem, like Modern Warfare 3 and Warzone’s ecosystems, but they’re typically quite under-spoken events. Each of these titles boasts an amateur scene, too – so if you want to get involved at the lowest, most grassroots kind of level, something is always waiting for you.

How Can You Get Involved?

Firstly, you can take part in a little Call of Duty betting, which involves placing real-money wagers on the Call of Duty tournaments listed above. Or, you can take the ultimate step and buy yourself a ticket, travelling to the venue that’s hosting these in-person events and enjoying the gameplay unfold before your very eyes. However, there’s nothing wrong with simply putting your feet up at home, grabbing some snacks, and tuning in to the game on a mobile device or even your home television.

It’s entirely up to you how you consume the best COD tournaments out there.