Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III will soon be the focus of the Esports World Cup – here’s a preview of the event!

The Esports World Cup (EWC) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (CoD: MW3) event will feature 16 teams initially divided into four groups for four days of action, all streamed live from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with the grand finale being a best-of-seven series that will take place on August 18.

The prize pool is a whopping $1,800,000, of which $600,000 will go to the winners. Of course, the organization that takes first place will also receive a trophy containing 3 keys of their opponent’s choice before being engraved into history on the first-ever EWC totem!

For diehard fans or new esports viewers interested in getting in on the Call of Duty action, we’ve got you covered: we’re taking a look at the tournament format and highlighting some of the best teams and players in the race!

In the first stage of the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III event, the four teams in each group will compete in a GSL format. Simply put, this means that an organization that earns two wins will finish first or second in their respective group and advance to the quarterfinals. At the other end of the group, the teams that suffer two losses will be sent home.

After the group stage, the tournament will be played as a single elimination tournament. All series will be played in a best-of-five format, except for the final, which will be played in a best-of-seven format.

There are also three different game modes that appear during each series and are played in the following order:

• Game 1 – Hardpoint
• Game 2 – Search and Destroy
• Game 3 – Control
• Game 4 – Hardpoint
• Game 5 – Search and Destroy

If the series is played in a best-of-seven format, the format will remain the same, with Control and Search and Destroy introduced for games six and seven if necessary.

If you’re looking for specific teams, there are always two organizations that have dominated the Call of Duty scene for many years. Of course, we’re talking about OpTic Gaming (represented by OpTic Texas in the Call of Duty League) and FaZe Clan (represented by Atlanta FaZe in the Call of Duty League), who have been in a tug of war for a decade, throwing punches at each other with every CoD release.

OpTic is currently the in-form team that delivered an incredible performance at the 2024 Call of Duty League Championships, taking the title and earning the coveted CoD Champs ring.

Atlanta FaZe finished sixth at the 2024 Call of Duty League Championships, but are a team that simply cannot be written off. They won the 2024 Call of Duty League regular season, and with a team filled with dominant Slayers like Simp and aBeZy, there’s hardly a match involving FaZe that isn’t full of excitement!

One player to watch out for is Shotzzy of OpTic Texas, who was named MVP at the Call of Duty League Championships after posting an impressive 1.17 kill-to-death ratio (KD) throughout the tournament. His direct playstyle always makes for an entertaining perspective, as he is often seen charging forward with the Rival 9 submachine gun.

Next up is Atlanta FaZe’s Cellium, who is considered a crucial factor in the team’s success. If he plays with confidence, takes unusual routes in Search and Destroy, and gets kills in respawn-based game modes, Atlanta FaZe truly becomes a nearly unstoppable force.

Last but not least, there’s Arcitys from Lore Gaming, because who doesn’t love a good underdog story? He proved himself in the amateur scene during the 2023/24 season, winning the 2024 Call of Duty Challengers Finals to secure his place in the EWC. Many Call of Duty fans will argue that Arcitys deserves a spot back at the highest level, which could very well be possible if we see an impressive performance at the Esports World Cup!