OpTic Chicago & Dallas Empire will struggle if Checkmate map is removed from CDL

The Call of Duty League map pool is always looking at being improved from pro players and devs alike, and with some wanting Checkmate removed from the rotation, OpTic and Dallas could be in trouble.

In Stage 2, we saw Express and Apocalypse enter the map rotation while Crossroads departed, and this meant some teams’ map pools improved while others’ got worse.

With Stage 3 now ready to go, one map has been a huge source of frustration for players and viewers alike: Checkmate.

It’s based in an airplane hangar, with the central plane a focal point in every game mode. The design of the map has come under heavy criticism, and with new maps such as BO2 classic Standoff arriving in Season 3 of Black Ops Cold War, we might see it removed sooner rather than later.

The thing is, while players might want to see Checkmate removed, some teams are actually quite good at it. In particular, Dallas Empire and OpTic Chicago are among the best, and Checkmate being removed could become a cause for concern.

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Both teams have a 5-2 record on the map in Search and Destroy, despite having more recently been seen as poor Search teams.

On the flip side, Mutineers are 2-5 on the map, while London Royal Ravens are both 0-2, as explained by Andrew ‘Enigma’ Campion on Reverse Sweep Round 11.

While Checkmate isn’t as heavily disliked in Hardpoint, some pros do want to see it out of the Control rotation too.

Again, both Dallas and OpTic have positive records on the map. Dallas are 4-0, while OpTic are 3-3, maintaining some level of dominance on the map.

While it wouldn’t be completely detrimental to their hopes of winning Majors, losing Checkmate could be monumental to these two teams, especially as they seek to chase Atlanta FaZe at the top of the standings.