'Call of Duty: Black Ops 4' League Play Explained - Rules, Events & Ranks

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 has just been updated to include a full suite of League Play features. In this short guide, we'll outline the basics of competitive play, the ruleset for each mode and how the situation has changed for Black Ops 4.

What is League Play in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4?

True to its name, League Play features a series of online competitions designed to replicate the official Call of Duty World League ruleset. The goal of each tournament is to rank as high on the ladder as possible, but there's also a permanent rank that encompasses all your performances across all events.

That means if you're lucky enough to reach first place, that victory will be forever recorded in your individual player profile. Achieve greatness multiple times in a row, and you'll be able to keep track of your event streaks as well. As is to be expected in such a highly competitive environment, all matchmaking is conducted based on skill.

Specifically for this year, Treyarch wants League Play to feature more events at a faster pace. This allows player counts to remain high during tournament periods, which ensures everyone has the chance to participate in the action.

What are the rules for League Play in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4?

The CWL Rules vary by mode. Here's how everything breaks down.

Search & Destroy

• 1.5 minutes
• Six-round win limit
• Unlimited rounds
• Silent Plant Enabled
• Select Spawn Disabled
• Maps:
  • Arsenal
  • Frequency
  • Gridlock
  • Hacienda
  • Payload

Hardpoint

• Two-second respawn delay
• Three-second suicide penalty
• Maps
  • Arsenal
  • Frequency
  • Gridlock
  • Hacienda
  • Seaside

Control

• Two-second respawn delay
• Three-second suicide penalty
• Maps
  • Arsenal
  • Frequency
  • Gridlock
  • Seaside

Restrictions

• Specialists
  • Ajax
  • Torque
  • Nomad
  • Zero
• Special Issue Equipment
  • Seeker
  • Reactor Core
  • Tac Deploy
• Scorestreaks
  • UAV
  • Care package
  • Counter UAV
  • Mantis
  • Sentry
  • Dart
  • RC-XD
• Gear
  • Acoustic Sensor
• Perks
  • Skulker
  • Gung-Ho
  • Team Link
  • Tracker
• Weapons
  • Titan
  • Hades
  • VKM 750
  • MOG 12
  • SG12
  • Daemon 3XB
  • Swat RFT
• Attachments
  • Rapid Fire
  • High Caliber
  • Laser Sight II
  • Max Load
  • Rocket Cache
  • High Explosive
• Optics
  • First Lock
• Wildcard
  • Overkill
  • Primary Operator Mod
  • Secondary Operator Mod

That's all we know about Black Ops 4 League Play for now, but we'll do our best to offer more details as they become available.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is available on PS4, Xbox One and PC. League Play will remain exclusive to PS4 until February 28. After that, it will debut on all platforms.

What are your thoughts on League Play in Black Ops 4? Do you plan on doing your best to climb up the ladder? Tell us in the comments section!