By Sagar V. Mankar 
For amateur Call of Duty players, the path to competitive glory runs through Challengers.
This developmental league gives upcoming talent a chance to hone skills and catch the eye of pro teams.
After an anxious wait, Activision has finally unveiled the 2024 Challengers season format.
What opportunities await players gunning for the big leagues this year?
Let’s break it down.
Challenger Open and Cups
Starting with the bad news!
2024 will feature only two Challengers Open live events tied to pro-CDL Majors.
Amateurs will battle on LAN at Major I Boston in January 26-28 and Major III Toronto in May, down from four Opens in 2023.
This restricts precious chances to compete on stage and get noticed.
Challengers Opens will have a $100,000 prize pool.
But there is a bright side also!
New 11 online Cups will run from January through July, letting players regularly showcase skills.
Cups offer seeding points for qualifying for Championships and supplement the loss of Majors exposure.
The first Cup of the 2024 Challengers Season is starting from January 20-21.
Cup Prize Pool – for NA and EU – $2,500 and for APAC and LATAM – $1,500.
Challengers Elite
Challenger Season will have Three Challengers Elite Season, featuring 6 North American and 6 European teams.
The top 8 teams after each Elite “season” retain their spots, while bottom teams get relegated.
Elite teams cannot play the first week of their own season, leaving Cups open for up-and-comers.
This provides opportunities for new squads to snag seeding points and vie for promotion.
Challengers Finals
The pinnacle comes at the Challengers Finals in August, where 16 elite amateur squads converge.
The best 10 regional teams over the season gain direct entry while the remaining 6 spots get filled through the Last Chance Qualifiers.
- Regional Leaderboard: 10 Teams (4 NA, 4 EU, 1 APAC, and 1 LATAM)
- Last Chance Qualifier: 6 Teams (2 NA, 2 EU, 1 APAC, and 1 LATAM)
North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America all receive representation.
This gives amateur players worldwide a path to the Championships through consistent online play.
While limited LAN access stings, the league format and point system still allow developing talent to progress.
Consistent Cup performances can set teams on the road to championship glory.
CDL teams will have eyes glued to Challengers all season long, scouting tomorrow’s superstars.
Who will seize the moment and earn a life-changing call-up?
Dreams start in Challengers.