MerK and Maven Discuss Highlights and Storylines from CDL Champs 2026
All paths in the Call of Duty League converge at the Championship weekend, where the top eight teams battle for the title of world champion. In 2026, the CDL Championship unfolded in the vibrant atmosphere of Las Vegas, where high stakes and electrifying energy define the final showdown.
During the CDL Championship 2026 in Las Vegas, two legendary casters, Clint “Maven” Evans and Joseph “MerK” DeLuca, shared their insights on the thrill of narrating the climax of the competitive Call of Duty season.
“[It’s the] culmination of the entire year, but it’s more than that. It’s a culmination of careers. Like Shotzzy going for three, Simp going for three, OpTic going for back-to-back-to-back,” MerK explained. “It’s as much about the money as it is about the prestige.”
Maven added that the significance of the event doesn’t change his approach as a caster. “I’m just personally 12 years in; I’m lucky that I love my job so much that it’s still just so fun for me. You’d think at some point I’d be like [burned] out, but it’s great.”
He noted that the only times it can be tough to get into the action are during less exciting matchups. “Sometimes you have online matches with weaker teams or early losers bracket games at Majors. ‘Someone’s just going to get their back blown out 3-0; it’s not gonna be competitive,’” Maven remarked.
At Champs, while there are still some 3-0 series, like FaZe versus Falcons or Gentle Mates versus G2, the overall competition is much more intense and thrilling. “I’m more excited, so that makes my job easier. I’ve never been good at faking it. I don’t really have a caster voice. If I’m genuinely excited, I’m excited. And Champs makes that easy,” Maven said.
Regarding preparation, MerK emphasized that casters engage more with the teams to gauge their strategies. “There are some unknowns, so we do our best to talk to coaches and players. We may not do it as much throughout the year,” he noted. “I go from practice room to practice room, just to get the vibe check.”
The CDL Championship is all about prestige, and while many fans follow the action from home, there are moments that viewers miss, like the raw emotions of the players. “You see it on stage after losses how disappointed they can be, but backstage you witness the real emotion,” MerK shared. “They let everything out and show just how much this means to them.”
Each CDL event in every city has its unique crowd and vibe, especially this year with Birmingham and Paris. For Maven, what stands out in Vegas is the consistency. “Last year was frustrating. I was maybe the saddest I’ve ever been when we showed up to Kitchener, and we had 100 people in the crowd day one,” he recalled. While attendance improved by Sunday, Vegas has proven to be more consistent compared to last year’s Champs.
The grand final of CDL Champs 2026 featured a rematch between OpTic and FaZe, two teams that have dominated the tournament. Regardless of the outcome, both MerK and Maven hope it will be remembered as one of the greatest grand finals in history.
