Highlights
- Activision will host Warzone Resurgence Series alongside Call of Duty League Majors.
- COD: WRS Birmingham and Atlanta act as open qualifiers, featuring LAN finals at DreamHack events.
- Top teams from both LAN Finals will advance to the Warzone Resurgence Championship at the Esports World Cup 2026.
Activision Blizzard has announced an esports circuit directly tied to the Call of Duty League (CDL) events, Call of Duty Warzone Resurgence Series (COD: WRS), marking a structural shift in the COD esports ecosystem in 2026. Activision unveiled the COD: WRS, scheduled to begin in February, combining online and offline formats. The series Championship will be held at the Esports World Cup (EWC) in Riyadh.
Under the new framework, Activision is bringing COD: WRS Birmingham and COD: WRS Atlanta, positioned as open qualifiers, leading to the COD: WRS Championship. Warzone Resurgence competitions will be staged alongside select CDL Majors throughout the 2026 season, creating a shared live-event platform for the franchise-based league and Call of Duty’s open battle royale scene.
Activision Publishing, Inc
The whole circuit will feature a $1.2 million USD prize pool, distributed across two LAN events and the Championship.
Warzone Resurgence Series Birmingham Format and Competitive Structure
Call of Duty Warzone Resurgence Series 2026 will feature a multi-stage format built around open online qualifiers and offline LAN events. The first event in the circuit, COD: WRS Birmingham, starts on Feb 9, 2026, with regional teams across North America and Europe taking part in the open qualifier in “Trios” format.
The open qualifiers will be followed by a Closed Qualifier that will determine the teams participating in the COD: WRS Birmingham, an offline LAN event at DreamHack Birmingham. In Birmingham, the total 16 selected teams will compete against each other for $100K prize money and four direct spots to the Call of Duty: Warzone Resurgence Championship at EWC 2026, scheduled on July 29 - Aug 1, 2026.
Activision Publishing, Inc
The LAN Finals will take place on March 29, 2026, alongside CDL Major II (March 27- 29), at the same venue.
Warzone Resurgence Series Atlanta Format and Competitive Structure
Next in the circuit, COD: WRS Atlanta will start on April 6, before culminating on May 17, 2026, alongside CDL Major III (May 15 - 17), at DreamHack Atlanta. COD: WRS Atlanta will also feature $100K prize money, along with five tickets to the WRS Championship in Riyadh.
Similar to WRS Birmingham, this tournament will start with regional Open Qualifiers, leading to DreamHack Atlanta LAN Finals. Activision mentioned that people outside Europe and North America can also participate in the LAN Open(s) and WRS Championship Qualifiers.
Lastly, the circuit hosts the COD: WRS Championship Qualifiers, providing another chance to qualify for the WRS Championship, hosted in Riyadh. Along with the announcement, Activision has stated that further information about WRS Championship Qualifiers “will be announced soon.”
Even though the Warzone Resurgence Series will be held alongside CDL Majors, it will not impact CDL standings. Rather, it will create a more unified competitive ecosystem and more qualification pathways for Call of Duty’s major event at the EWC.
