The CDL Stage 3 Major is set to be a thrilling tournament. four storylines highlight the tournament, including HyDra’s continued dominance and Toronto’s perfect record.
With the CDL Stage 3 Major on the horizon, fans have been treated to some exciting Call of Duty during the regular season. The stage was highlighted by the dominance of the rookie HyDra, and perfection from the Toronto Ultra.
HyDra continues to shine as Subliners hit hot streak
Many questions arose about the team’s chemistry after a shaky loss to the London Royal Ravens. But HyDra’s individual abilities were never in question. The Frenchman made his highly anticipated debut against arguably the best team in the league Atlanta FaZe in the CDL Stage 3 Major.
HyDra's 31 kills to kick off that series paved the way for his team to upset Atlanta in a 3-2 series win. His 1.37 Hardpoint K/D ratio leads all players in that category, and his overall 1.14 K/D finds himself third amongst the league leaders.
Even though it is only a small sample size, considering he has only played one stage, it is clear that he was the answer New York needed to get over the hump.
Their 4-1 stage record is the best yet, and it appears as if they have sorted out some of their inconsistencies from early Stage 3. Taking down the likes of FaZe, OpTic and the new-look LA Thieves in the process, this team has a legitimate chance to win the Major.
Toronto remains perfect in CDL Stage 3
There hasn’t been a hotter team in the league than the Toronto Ultra. This all-European squad has completely turned the corner after their impressive Stage 2 Major victory. They took that momentum right into Stage 3, steamrolling pretty much every team en route to a perfect 5-0 record. They also secured the first overall seed.
Toronto Ultra's undefeated record makes them one of only two teams to have done so throughout the 2021 season. Rookie AR player Jamie “Insight” Craven, has been playing some of the best Call of Duty the league has seen since joining the Ultra.
Insight is a likely candidate for rookie of the year is a huge part of Toronto’s success, but the overall chemistry of the team is evident. A 15-1 map record is not to be taken lightly. With the most favorable bracket out of everyone, they should without a doubt be expected to go back-to-back.
OpTic a Big Question Mark
It has been a very bizarre year for OpTic Chicago. They came out of the gates flying, looking very good in both the preseason and earlier on in Stage 1. Built on the backs of world champions Formal and Scump, along with the young talents of Envoy and Dashy, OpTic were poised to be a consistent top 3 team throughout the year.
Chicago opened Stage 1 with a 4-1 record. Though it seems long history of being unsuccessful in big tournaments are re-occurring. However, the hopes were still high. Even after a lackluster performance in the first major. But the struggles continued as they went a mediocre 5-5 over the course of Stage 2 and 3.
The individuals on this team are extremely talented, but the patience of OpTic fans is running thin. Aside from the struggles of this team, they remain a very difficult matchup for anyone that runs into them. Keep an eye for a potential deep run from this team in the CDL Stage 3.
Can London Play Spoiler in CDL Stage 3?
London must be the least talked about team all season long. The Royal Ravens began the year with only two wins in their first twelve matches. Although, they recorded 2 wins in Stage 3. Which included an upset win over the New York Subliners.
The addition of Zaptius in mid-April seemed like a modest one, but he has stepped in and has played the flex role quite well with the team. While he has not been a game changing player yet, they clearly have found some decent chemistry with this roster.
Their bracket for this major may actually line up quite nicely for them as well. The first round matchup will be against a struggling Paris Legion team, who added Temp to the roster just a few weeks ago. If they win, they’ll square off against the Minnesota Rokkr.
This is yet another team that has struggled as of late, and any team will be have a crack at beating them. London is a very scrappy team that can push even the very best to the edge. Be sure to look for them to cause a ton of problems for others down in the lower bracket.
CDL Stage 3 has been full of incredible action, and it appears that this third Major tournament could possibly be the best one fans have been treated to this season. Catch all the action beginning Thursday May 13th, at 3:00p.m. EST.
Stage 3 runs from May 13th-16th. Following the major, the CDL will head to back to LAN for all of Stage 4. It will be the first time players have been on LAN since early 2020.