A custom gaming keyboard backlit with red LED lights waits for tactile input before Manual took on Boone County in a Rocket League match, which was streamed on YouTube on Thursday, March 5, 2020. The Atlanta FaZe, fresh off winning the Call of Duty League Stage 2 Major, dropped their first match in Stage 3 qualifying on Friday, falling 3-2 to the Toronto Ultra.
In the other opening-day matches, Stage 2 Major runner-up Vancouver Surge swept the Vegas Falcons 3-0, and OpTic Texas edged the Minnesota Rokkr 3-2.
The Stage 3 Major qualifying round has the league’s 12 playing five qualifying matches apiece through April 20 to determine seeding for the Stage 3 Major playoffs, slated for April 24-27 in Boca Raton, Fla.
The Ultra opened with a 250-193 win on Vault Hardpoint before the FaZe rallied to claim Hacienda Search and Destroy 6-5 and Protocol Control 3-2. Toronto bounced back and earned a 250-206 triumph on Hacienda Hardpoint and a 6-3 victory on Protocol Search and Destroy.
The Surge downed the Falcons 250-127 on Red Card Hardpoint, 6-2 on Dealership Search and Destroy and 3-0 on Vault Control.
OpTic began with a 250-230 win on Skyline Hardpoint, but the Rokkr captured Rewind Search and Destroy 6-4 and Protocol Control 3-1. Texas then prevailed 250-207 on Protocol Hardpoint and 6-5 on Protocol Search and Destroy.
The remaining schedule for the first weekend of qualifying action:
Saturday
–Miami Heretics vs. Vegas Falcons
–Los Angeles Guerrillas M8 vs. Carolina Royal Ravens
–Cloud9 New York vs. OpTic Texas
–Toronto Ultra vs. Boston Breach
Sunday
–Minnesota Rokkr vs. Boston Breach
–Atlanta FaZe vs. Carolina Royal Ravens
–Vancouver Surge vs. Los Angeles Thieves
Call of Duty League Stage 3 Major qualifying standings (with match record and map differential):
1. Vancouver Surge, 1-0, plus-3
T2. Toronto Ultra, 1-0, plus-1
T2. OpTic Texas, 1-0, plus-1
T4. Cloud9 New York, 0-0, even
T4. Boston Breach, 0-0, even
T4. Carolina Royal Ravens, 0-0, even
T4. Los Angeles Guerrillas M8, 0-0, even
T4. Los Angeles Thieves, 0-0, even
T4. Miami Heretics, 0-0, even
T10. Minnesota Rokkr, 0-1, minus-1
T10. Atlanta FaZe, 0-1, minus-1
12. Vegas Falcons, 0-1, minus-3
–Field Level Media
