Call of Duty League: What Are GAs, Are They Taking Over?

BOCW Checkmate
Yes, that's right, all of these things are banned in CDL! (Credit: Activision)

You like to watch Call of Duty League, and wonder why they always use the same weapons, even though there would be much better ones? You have no idea what GAs are? Don't worry, we'll explain what they are, and whether the constant changes might be a bit too much.

As in any professional league, there is a set of rules in Call of Duty League. In the case of CoD, this rulebook includes weapon bans, in addition to a certain selection of maps. In cooperation with representatives of all CDL teams, a list of “restricted items” is agreed upon before the season starts. Besides the official list, there are also the unofficial GAs.

Let's get started!

All Restricted Items of CDL 2021

  • All LMGs and Tactical Rifles are banned.
  • Shotguns and launchers are banned.
  • Stim Shots and Decoys are banned.
  • C4 and Tomahawk are prohibited.
  • Proximity Mine, Field Microphone and Gas Mine are prohibited.
  • Danger Close Wildcard is prohibited.
  • All Scorestreaks except Artillery and Cruise Missile are prohibited.
  • The SWAT-5mw laser, Ember sighting point and Dual Wield are forbidden.

So much for the official rules. But why, for example, are no sniper rifles or thick revolvers played? This is where the GAs come into play.

Esports stadium
CDL might not be the biggest Esports League, but it's still pretty great. (Credit: ESL Plus)

What Are GAs?

GA is short for Gentlemen's Agreement. GAs are additional rules that teams agree upon among themselves, but that are not in the official rulebook. GAs can change several times during a Season, if teams find that certain weapons or gadgets are too powerful.

Currently, according to GAs, there are the following additional bans in CDL:

  • AK-47, FARA 83, XM4, KSP 45, LC10, 1911, and the Magnum are banned.
  • All Snipers are banned.
  • Thermal sight, Special Command Barrels, KGB & SOCOM Eliminator, all muzzles for the AK-74u are prohibited.
  • Gearhead and Gung-Ho are prohibited.
  • Molotovs and smoke grenades are banned.
  • Jammers are banned, only 3 Trophy Systems per team.
  • No Auto Sprint.

All these rules combined, lead to the assault rifle & MP meta we know. In Black Ops Cold War, until recently, this consisted of the XM4 and the AK-74u. However, the XM4 has now been added to the GAs as well...

Are the GAs Getting Out of Hand?

You just saw the two lists, didn't you? A lot of bans! It would probably be easier to list the weapons and gadgets that are still allowed. GAs are important to the CDL because the meta can change at any time, whether it's patches that change the balance, or major updates that introduce new weapons. To keep the CDL excited and balanced, adjustments must be made from time to time.

However, care must always be taken to ensure that bans do not get out of hand. Seattle Surge, one of the CDL teams, already made fun of the fact that XM4 is now banned as well.

Honestly, I would love to see some Knife-Only matches! But of course it won't come to that. At the moment, the teams seem to be changing and training with the QBZ-83, which might replace the XM4 in the CDL meta in the future.

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Original article was written by Lukas Ballat.

Evan Williams

Australian gamer, musician, and journalist at EarlyGame. Currently living in Germany so no, I don't ride a Kangaroo to work. I am currently hard at work making our CoD and Rocket League pages the best on the internet. Lofty ambitions,...