The coronavirus outbreak has affected many different aspects of life. One of the most heavily affected areas is sports. From long breaks during the height of the pandemic to playing in empty stadiums, sports have had to adapt and maintain the latest COVID regulations and then some. While many would consider esports relatively unaffected by these new regulations, it’s still taken a toll on the experience for the players involved. However, that didn’t stop the 11 teams from competing in the new Call of Duty League.

The Call of Duty League

While there was a professional Call of Duty league previously called Call of Duty World League, they recently updated the name and its rules. This new league consists of 12 city-based teams competing in 5v5 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare multiplayer matches. Played on PlayStation4, the teams include the best players from North America and Europe and compete in tournament-style competitions every weekend during the season to earn points and determine which 6 teams will be in the playoffs. From there, the top 2 teams compete head to head in the championship.

The Call of Duty Leagues inaugural season ended in August, with the Dallas Empire coming out victorious. The winners took home some pretty mind-boggling prizes, including:

• $1.5 million
• Championship rings
• A trophy
• Custom Air Jordans
• A custom throne

Yep, you read that last part right. The winning team got themselves a custom throne. Talk about a unique prize!

O Captain! My Captain!

James "Clayster" Eubanks was the captain of the winning Dallas team. Why does this matter? Because this is his second year in a row as captain of the Call of Duty championship team. In last year’s bout, Clayster took home the title with eUnited, another esports organization based in North America. Last year, the winning team took home an $800,000 prize.

Esports & Eye Health

Few consider the demand that esports can put on one’s body. Many people think of esports as a physically low-impact sport. While this is true in terms of traditional sports, esports introduces a new set of concerns. In terms of eye health, digital eye strain (DES) or computer vision syndrome (CVS) is a very real issue facing many recreational and professional gamers. Symptoms of CVS include:

• Tired eyes
• Eye strain
• Headaches due to prolonged screen time
• Back and neck pain
• Blurred vision
• Dry eyes

EyePromise® Screen Shield™ Pro is an eye vitamin taken by pro gamers to support their eye health during extended screen time sessions.