CDL 2026 Stage 1 Major results & final standings
It was an exciting weekend for Call of Duty esports fans, with the first Call of Duty League (CDL) major of the year taking place from 29 January to 2 February 2026. The CDL 2026 Stage 1 Major didn’t disappoint, with the best 12 teams competing their hearts out at the Moody Coliseum in Dallas, Texas. In case you couldn’t watch the action live, here’s how things went down.
Paris Gentle Mates wins CDL 2026 Stage 1 Major
With a solid $365,000 prize pool (that’s roughly R5.85 million) on the line, sparks flew at the CDL 2026 Stage 1 Major, where 12 teams battled in the no-nonsense double-elimination bracket.
Homecrowd favorites, OpTic Texas, got off to a powerful start in the Upper Bracket, destroying Riyadh Falcons 3-0. OpTic Texas went on to smash G2 Minnesota 3-0, and to make it to the Grand Final of CDL 2026 Stage 1, OpTic Texas sent Paris Gentle Mates to the Lower Bracket with a clean 3-0.
Paris Gentle Mates recovered in the Lower Bracket, beating FaZe Vegas in a narrow 3-2 slugfest for a spot in the Grand Final.
In the best-of-seven Grand Final of the CDL 2026 Stage 1 Major, OpTic Texas took an early two-map lead. However, it was Paris Gentle Mates who pulled off an incredible comeback to win 4-3, thereby claiming the coveted trophy, with Travis “Neptune” McCloud being named the MVP.
CDL 2026 Stage 1 Major final standings
Below, we have a table featuring the final standings of the CDL 2026 Stage 1 Major, including precisely how much each team won.
| Rank | Team(s) | Winnings | CDL Points |
| 1st | Paris Gentle Mates | $150,000 | 100 |
| 2nd | OpTic Texas | $90,000 | 75 |
| 3rd | FaZe Vegas | $50,000 | 60 |
| 4th | G2 Minnesota | $30,000 | 45 |
| 5th–6th | Miami Heretics, Los Angeles Thieves | $15,000 (each) | 30 |
| 7th–8th | Vancouver Surge, Riyadh Falcons | $7,500 (each) | 15 |
| 9th–12th | Toronto KOI, Carolina Royal Ravens, Boston Breach, Cloud9 New York | $0 | 0 |
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Header image via Activision.
