MW3 update changes the entire CDL Meta days before Major 1

The first Major of the Call of Duty League season is here, just as Modern Warfare 3 Ranked edges ever closer to release, and the hardcore CoD community can fill their boots with whatever sweaty content they want.

The CDL Major I in Boston is to get underway on January 25, as teams have been using the last three months since Modern Warfare 3 was released to practice and hone in on strats for this inaugural event.

But just a matter of days before the action unfolds, Modern Warfare 3 Season 1 Reloaded, arguably the "worst update of all time", has just flipped the entire meta on its head, nerfing guns and changing Hardpoint hills.

Sledgehammer Games nerfs CDL weapons and changes maps ahead of Major I

Ahead of Ranked's release and the Major, Sledgehammer Games' most recent update to Modern Warfare 3 has nerfed the MCW, which has been the most dominant weapon in the CDL so far. This has come hand-in-hand with a buff to the second-favourite gun in the Rival-9, as assault rifle players will now have to get used to being ripped off head glitches by SMGs.

Massive changes have also been made to every map in the CDL rotation, as the Hardpoint hills for Invasion, Terminal, Sub Base, and Karachi have all moved locations, which will cause a big disruption to teams who have perfected rotations from each point.

The Season 1 Reloaded update has also binned off Trophy System's ability to destroy Cruise Missiles. Admittedly, players have been calling for this for months, but the timing is impeccably poor.

How much of an impact will MW3 Season 1 Reloaded have on CDL 2024 Major 1?

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Of course, this isn't too much of a problem for the professionals, as they will still be competing on the old patch, given that they have dedicated servers on PC which allow the updates to be rolled back. But, it could have an impact on their reps, as they will likely want to at least try and get some Ranked games in before their matches (if it isn't delayed even further).

However, the same luxury cannot be afforded to the Challengers players, who will be competing in their first Open event of the year at the Boston Major, as they will be forced to use the updated weapon attachments and new Hardpoint rotations.

These changes will all come into play once Ranked launches too, which might even out the playing field for anyone who hasn't been grinding since day one and will be looking to get on that ladder sooner, rather than later.