Competitors and mentors within the Call of Duty League (CDL) have voiced their concerns about an alteration to the guidance protocols leading up to the Esports World Cup (EWC).
For the Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 competition in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, squads now have the option of having their strategists present on the platform, enabling them to offer tactical insights during ongoing matches.
On July 17th, 2025, the EWC announced that mentors are permitted to communicate with their respective squads continuously during Hardpoint and Control game modes. Pertaining to Search and Destroy matches, these communications are confined to the periods between rounds. This adjustment marks the first instance in over ten years where strategists can provide instructions while a match is in progress.
The esports community has also conveyed some surprise regarding the timing of the announcement of on-stage coaching being so close to the start of the tournament.
After the announcement, a number of mentors, competitors, and former champions offered their assessments of the adjustment. 2022 world champion Sam ‘Octane’ Larew said: “I truly hope that the presence of coaches on the platform remains unique to the EWC and is not adopted by the CDL going forward.
“The ability of a player to make on-the-spot decisions and interpret the game represents the principal skill that sets players apart in CoD. Diminishing this any further would be detrimental to our esport.”
Conversely, 2013 world champion Christopher ‘Parasite’ Duarte suggests that this adjustment might enhance the prowess of top-tier squads: “This elevates the potential of all teams and gives coaching greater importance. If something is deemed less reliant on player skill, then the result should be enhanced equality, making matches more engaging.”
Is The CDL Expected to Modify Guidance Protocols?
Now that the CDL season has concluded following its most extensively viewed occasion, it has not yet supplied specific information concerning potential alterations to its current guidance rules, which authorize exchanges during intermissions.
Taking into account that the Esports World Cup is allied with the league, this year’s competition might be observed to assess the influence that on-stage strategists exert on the events.
The Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Esports World Cup tournament is scheduled from July 24th through 27th, with 16 competing squads vying for their share of a $1.8m (~£1.3m) prize pool.
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