As the competitive Call of Duty scene gears up for the 2021 CDL season, the pro community is hard at work trying to establish the best possible ‘meta’ for Black Ops Cold War. The latest ‘GA’ (Gentleman’s Agreement) has banned out the AK-47 assault rifle.
It’s been a turbulent first couple of months for competitive CoD in the newest game, with a lot of focus on the use of GA’s to balance the game.
What are GAs?
GA simply stands for Gentleman’s Agreement – an understanding among pro and amateur players not to use a certain weapon, perk, or piece of equipment, even if it’s not banned in the official competitive ruleset.
These GAs are often seen as necessary to keep the game competitive, as the base Call of Duty releases are designed with the casual player in mind, not the professional.
Treyarch are supportive of this experimentation this year, with lead designer Tony Flame confirming that they are working with the players to establish the best ruleset before competition officially begins in the league.
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This has resulted in some eyebrow-raising GAs though, and the latest is the AK-47. The weapon had become the AR of choice in late 2020, but the pro community has now deemed it too powerful to remain.
FaZe player Alec ‘Arcitys’ Sanderson said it was his last day with the AK on January 2.
and that was my last day of the ak ill see you soon
— FaZe Alec 🥀 (@Arcitys) January 3, 2021
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Former Paris Legion player Matthew ‘KiSMET’ Tinsley commented that after his first match without the AK, it was “so much better.”
1st map without the AK47 on the map and wow its so much better, better players thrive for sure in this meta
— BBG Matt ✞ (@KiSMET6_) January 3, 2021
Of course, with the AK47 out of the picture, it allows for other weapons to pick up in popularity. The stand-out option at the moment appears to be the Krig-6.
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However, as one weapon is GA’d, another is sure to take its place in the ‘overpowered’ position – a criticism fans have often levied at the pro players. Are the weapons really too powerful, or are the top players simply banning things to their own personal advantage.
It remains to be seen how the meta shakes out before the first CDL event of the season. There’s no date for when this will yet, although announcements from the Call of Duty League are expected soon.
