Welcome to our Call of Duty: World War II betting guide. In this article, we will cover everything there is to know about Call of Duty betting and the game’s competitive scene. If you continue reading, you will learn about the game’s top esports tournaments, teams, and also the basics of CoD – how the game is played, as well as its competitive match structure.
On the topic of betting, the most essential thing a bettor has to have in mind is selecting a reputable bookmaker that consistently offers good odds, and above all, proper customer care. Our list of sportsbook recommendations checks all the marks that make for a smooth betting experience: proven track record in the industry, user-friendly navigation, good selection of betting markets, and fast, seamless payouts. Check out the best Call of Duty betting sites below.
Call of Duty is a competitive first-person shooter franchise that initially hit the shelves in 2003. Over the years, the game has shifted through over 14 glorious iterations. The game is available across all convenient gaming platforms: Windows PC, Mac, PS4, and Xbox One.
Gamers rejoiced that Activision returned to their roots and went back to design a World War-based game, a theme that has been an absolute fan favorite ever since CoD’s first two iterations which conquered the world upon release. The Call of Duty esports scene seamlessly adapts to new game releases, meaning all esports tournaments are played on the game’s latest version.
Naturally, over the years, the game has evolved to include plenty of new features that improve the audio-visual and technical aspects of the game, but CoD has always stayed in line with the core basics of FPS games.
As a player, you have your weapons, grenades, and accessories. Your job is to use the tools at your disposal to the best of your ability in order to defeat the enemy team. Of course, as with any competitive FPS game, several factors prevail above all. Reaction times, quick thinking, strategical planning, and the ability to act as a cohesive unit are crucial aspects of a successful CoD esports team.
While esports is thriving and continues to do so, not all esports receive equal coverage among bookmakers. Call of Duty has a huge player and fan base within its own right, but its popularity can’t be matched with the likes of Dota 2, League of Legends, and CS:GO. This is why you will always see CoD tournaments featured at bookmakers with a relatively limited betting market coverage.
Below, you will find the most common markets related to Call of Duty esports betting.
This bet signifies betting on the tournament winner and is typically unavailable once a tournament has commenced.
Another self-explanatory bet – pick your favorite between two teams and place your stake.
Handicap betting is scarcely found on CoD matches, but fortunately, it is becoming increasingly available as of late. With handicap betting, you are giving an imaginary advantage or disadvantage to a certain team. That advantage/disadvantage is signified as +1.5 or -1.5. The cut-off point can also be 2.5, 3.5, and so on. In CoD’s case, this number refers to the number of maps. In soccer, that would be the number of goals.
For example, if Team OpTic was playing Team Envy, and you bet on Team OpTic with a handicap of -1.5, this means they would have to win the series 3:0 for your bet to come out victorious. This is because, for the sake of your bet, the match has started with a score of -1.5 to 0. If the match was to end 2:1, your handicap bet would see the final score as 0.5:1, meaning you would have lost your bet.
Using this type of bet, you can get much better odds than usual, but at a higher risk. This is why handicap betting is usually taken advantage of by experienced bettors who possess good knowledge of the teams and players in question, as well as their recent form coming into the match.
Since Call of Duty is a unique game with its own quirks and features, you can often find exclusive betting opportunities that are unavailable with other sports. Examples of these types of bets include who will win the first round, who will score a knife kill, number of maps won by a certain team, number of submachine rifle kills, and so forth.
Call of Duty esports matches are played 4v4 (two teams of 4 players each) on various maps with different strategical objectives, layouts, and dimensions – much akin to CS:GO.
Players can choose between a myriad of weapons: rifles, submachine guns, light machine guns, sniper rifles, shotguns, pistols, and launchers. Weapons can be enhanced with attachments, but players can also take advantage of tactical weapons such as flares and grenades.
In competitive play, some weapons and accessories are banned from use for the sake of balance.
There are four game modes eligible for competitive play, each coming with several maps specific to that mode.
This game mode is fairly simple to grasp. Whichever team captures the flag situated within the enemy’s base and safely transports it to their own wins the round.
The Search and Destroy mode splits the two teams into two roles: attacking and defending.
The attacking team’s purpose is to either eliminate all enemies or plant the bomb on either of the two bomb sites (A and B) and successfully defend it until it detonates. The bomb’s blast radius can harm all players regardless of their team. The defending team can win the round by eliminating all enemies, defusing a planted bomb, or simply holding out until the timer expires. The two teams then switch sides and repeat the exact number of rounds on opposing sides. In the end, the team with most rounds won is decided as the winner.
Gridiron is a new mode introduced in CoD: WWII, but it is based on previous game modes. Two opposing teams battle to control a ball that is situated at the center of the map in an attempt to score it into the enemy goal. While you will find this mode featured at some CoD tournaments, its goofy nature makes that a rarity.
Hardpoint is a simple game mode available throughout many FPS games. In this game mode, teams have to contest a certain point called the “Hardpoint.” As long as one team is within that area, they accumulate crucial points that go towards winning the round. If both teams are present at a Hardpoint, the area is considered as “contested,” and no points are rewarded. Hardpoints change several times throughout the match, adding an interesting gameplay dynamic that’s enticing to spectators and players alike.
Upon first glance, Call of Duty may not look all too different from the many cookie-cutter FPS video games out there on the market. However, CoD holds unique differences to other popular shooters not only because of its specific map layouts and objectives but also because of the player division and class system in which every player has a defined role and unique weapons arsenal at his disposal.
In a CoD esports match, players can choose to be one of five divisions:
Each class comes with unique weapons and perks. Players can additionally customize their characters by selecting a type of division training as well as basic training. These training types can give your character various abilities such as better aim while moving, extra inventory space, reduced explosive damage, silent movement, reduced fall damage, and many more.
In summary, CoD allows player customization unlike any other FPS. This leads not only to increased entertainment for players but also to a diversified spectating experience that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
The Call of Duty esports scene revolves around one big league – the Call of Duty World League – which runs throughout the entire year. This league is held by the game’s creators (Activision), and it rewards the best players in the world with millions in prize pool money.
The Call of Duty World League (CWL) is a series of tournaments sponsored by Activision that are evenly spread out during the competitive season. The bulk of these tournaments come with a prize pool of $200,000, such as the Dallas Open, New Orleans Open, Atlanta Open, Birmingham Open, Seattle Open, and Anaheim Open tournaments.
Amidst the tournament frenzy, there are two events which hold the greatest importance: the CWL Pro League Stage 1 and Stage 2. These tournaments also come with vastly higher prize pools – $700,000.
Depending on their performance in the Stage 1 tournament, the best teams have a chance to reserve their place to the World Championship playoffs, whereas the lower-performing teams will get their chance in the Stage 2 tournament.
The Call of Duty Championship (CWC) is the culmination of the CoD competitive season. It is an annual tournament held across various locations throughout the United States, and it comes with the biggest prize pool of all – $1,500,000.
The CWC features 32 teams. 12 of those teams arrive from Stage 1 of the CWL Pro League, 4 from the same league’s relegation battles, and 16 teams from the Last Chance Qualifiers.
The tournament starts with a round-robin group stage (8 groups of 4 teams each), where all matches are played in a best-of-5 format. The top two teams from each group advance to the double-elimination knockout stage, where the best teams can pave their way to the final to battle for that lucrative $600,000 first-place prize.
Besides the Call of Duty Pro League, the CoD scene seldom features prestigious events that don’t fall under Activision’s direct backing. Most third-party tournaments are reserved for amateur teams looking to make a name for themselves, boasting relatively small prize pools. In comparison to other esports, Call of Duty ranks low on the ladder of viewership numbers and prestige, but its fan base is consistent and loyal, meaning it has the potential to thrive within its own right for the foreseeable future. Over the course of the 2017-18 season, Call of Duty: World War II tournaments generated more than $4,000,000 in prize money.
The Call of Duty scene has seen a few organizations circulate at the top of the game’s competitive hierarchy throughout the years, but players shuffle between teams far too often for comfort, meaning you will hardly see the same roster with consistent success throughout the years.
Moreover, the fact that there have been more than 14 Call of Duty releases to date means that the meta is shaken up every time a new game iteration comes up. Some top teams have often found it hard to adapt to the slew of game changes, while others have risen up from the ashes precisely because of those changes. In a way, this is the beauty of the Call of Duty esports scene, as you can never be sure who is the favorite. Furthermore, the discrepancy in skill between two teams is never as large as in many other esports and traditional sports, meaning that close contests happen more often than not.
Call of Duty World Championship Winners
Call of Duty is one of the most popular esports FPS games out there. The game is a blast whether you’d like to have a bit of fun yourself, watch the pros battle it out on the highest level – or both. CoD’s steady competitive scene ensures a good selection of betting options if you’re looking to spice up your spectating action with a few wagers. If you’re keen on having a few bets, make sure to have a look at our recommended sites. You can also check out our review section for detailed analysis of all bookmakers and exactly what you can expect from them as a customer.
