As the CDL (Call of Duty League) begins its Stage 2 season, tensions have already risen among players, streamers, and even team owners. Excitement-filled debates have even made their way to Lost Tribe headquarters, so we asked the team to recall their fondest memories of the franchise that is Call of Duty. Take a trip down memory lane as we review some of our favorite games and maps of all time.

What is your favorite Call of Duty map of all time?

Jake Offenheim – Gaming & Program Associate
Rust or Terminal. These maps were my childhood. Modern Warfare 2 was a VERY flawed game but made me fall in love with the series. I have spent countless hours perfecting the art of Quickscope No Scope on Rust and a lot of those memories are what brought me to love video games and got me to where I am today.

Ethan Karlin – Marketing & Strategy Administrator
If you’re going for the top overall map across the entire game’s history, it’s gotta be Nuketown. From Black Ops One to the latest Black Ops Cold War, Nuketown is in a total of five different games, uniquely remade for each game. I had the most fun playing this map on Black Ops 2, it was iconic for my friends and me. It’s very simple and easy to navigate, but there are plenty of ways to outsmart your opponent. Also, the aesthetic of the map is just awesome.

If we’re talking about more recently released maps, I’m gonna have to go with Shoothouse, on Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2019. With three lanes and simple navigation between each, it is one of my favorite maps to really rack up the points and take home the W. It was great for grinding camos too. I never unlocked Damascus; however, I did manage to get a few weapons obsidian by playing the Shoothouse & Shipment 24/7 Gamemode.

If we’re talking pure versatility and competitive elements, I’ll have to go with Terrace from COD Advanced Warfare. The map takes place in Greece in the hills so one side of the map is super elevated while the other is down closer to the ocean. Due to Advanced Warfare’s state of the art vertical gameplay, this map took a whole new meaning to “I have the high ground”.

Max Friedman – Gaming Intern
Hands down, has to be Rust. Nothing beats the classic.

Nick Lalli – Communications/Public Relations Intern
There are so many contenders for my favorite map. Hijacked from Black Ops 2 comes to mind first because it’s a tiny, vertical map with a little room to move horizontally, which leads to frenetic gameplay. I absolutely loved playing Party Games on Hijacked because there was constant action. Dome from Modern Warfare 3 is also up there for me. I have fond memories of proning next to the stairs on top of the dome with my cousins in Survival mode as we fended off hordes of enemies (until the juggernauts arrived and we ran for our lives). 

Jesse Shrier – Tournament Administrator
While most COD players may turn to classic 1v1 maps like Nuketown or Rust, I would say Terminal from Modern Warfare 2 was my favorite map in Call of Duty history. Never will I forget the countless hours of gun game and sniper duels held on that map, and it was always a challenge to see who could stay on top of the plane and airport for the longest without falling. I remember making some pretty epic plays through the cockpit window. Honorable mentions include Hijacked from Black Ops 2, and Shipment, which may be the most hectic map of any Call of Duty.

Benji Gluzman – Social Media Intern
My favorite COD map has always been a tough question for me to definitively answer. If I had to choose one it would likely be Nuketown given its longevity in being featured in multiple different COD games.  To be fair, its longevity is totally validated given the nonstop action that ensues in a COD match given its small size and map design. However, coming in at a close second would have to be Firing Range originating from Black Ops, and has also been included in other COD games beyond Black Ops.

What is your favorite Call of Duty game of all time?

Jake Offenheim
Modern Warfare 2. I have played every Call of Duty after this one but none of them had the sheer ridiculousness that this game had. Everything was overpowered and there were problems but I spent probably a total of 50 days in this game alone.

Ethan Karlin
This one might be a bit controversial to both the younger and older generations. My personal favorite has to be Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2019. The weapon play wasn’t outstanding, some of the spawns made me want to break my controller, but hey, it’s Call of Duty. This game was my number one go to during quarantine with the squad. Late night Search and Destroy games just hit differently on Modern Warfare. This game was also the first game I got a mastery camo for, I even got obsidian on my snipers. Overall the game was more enjoyable than the previous COD games due to my increased skill (the last COD I had before that was Advanced Warfare) and the memories I made with my friends.

Max Friedman
Unpopular opinion, but I have to say Call of Duty Ghosts.

Nick Lalli
Black Ops 2 is undoubtedly my favorite CoD of all time. It was my first CoD game, and I dumped hundreds of hours into it in middle school. I played the Campaign sparingly, as I spent most of my time playing Multiplayer and Zombies. I loved the Party Games, due to the fact that you had to be proficient with a plethora of machinery. Zombies stand out as the most memorable aspect of BO2 because my friends and I spent many nights staying up way too late playing on Town over and over again.

Jesse Shrier
This is a tough list. The best COD game has to come from either the Black Ops or Modern Warfare series, which has been an age-old debate. In my opinion, it’s gotta be Modern Warfare 2. The game features iconic maps like Rust and Terminal that were common grounds for 1v1s, as well as an engaging campaign and special ops missions. I loved the level up system in this game, and miss playing split screen multiplayer on my XBOX 360. A runner up would be Black Ops 1 or 2. Black ops 2 had the most fun game modes), but Black Ops 1 is a classic and was the first COD game I really got into. Honorable mention: World at War. My mom only let me get it because the enemies were Nazis.

Benji Gluzman
My favorite COD game of all time has to be Black Ops 2. Not very original I know, but I can’t think of a game where I was consistently having fun like I was when playing Black Ops 2.  The maps were solid, and some of my best gaming memories stem from sticks and stones in Black Ops 2 playing with friends all night long.

One streamer to run duos with, who are you choosing?

Jake Offenheim
Lost Tribe Esports, enough said.

Ethan Karlin
Nadeshot. Easy. I’ve become a 100 Thieves fanboy this past year. He’s just the G.O.A.T. Next question.

Max Friedman
NadeShot, he was my gaming idol when I first got into FPS games.

Nick Lalli
I’d have to go with NickMercs. There’d never be a dull moment in our games.

Jesse Shrier
If I could choose one streamer to play duos with, it would be Optic Pamaj. I used to always watch his trick shot and quick scope complications on old COD YouTube videos, and would love to get in a trickshot lobby with him and the old Optic group. I also know he’d have my back from a distance in a duo lobby.

Benji Gluzman
I’ve never gotten too into watching many COD content creators/gamers, but I’ve been watching Optic Scump for the longest time so I would have to go with him. He’s totally cracked and I find him to be hilarious especially when he goes crazy after hitting a nice clip. Definitely would be crushing some lobbies if Scump and I were to run some games one day.

Favorite to win CDL?

Jake
Toronto Ultra

Ethan
LA Thieves

Max
Atlanta Faze

Nick
Atlanta Faze

Jesse
Toronto Ultra

Benji
Dallas Empire