The London Royal Ravens' Move to North America
The London Royal Ravens, the last European franchise in the Call of Duty League, has officially announced its move to North America by relocating to North Carolina. The team will now be known as the Carolina Royal Ravens.
Struggles of the Royal Ravens
In recent years, the Royal Ravens haven't been able to make a significant impact in the CDL – their performances have been underwhelming, causing them to miss championships and struggle to yield results at LAN majors. Multiple requests for an event in London have also been ignored.
The Desire to Move
The news about the franchise's desire to move to Charlotte, North Carolina had been circulating earlier during the offseason. Charlotte is the original base of parent company ReKTGlobal, but the team was later bought by Infinite Reality and relocated to California. Additionally, the team faced a takeover from the Spanish-based organization KOI, founded by leading Twitch streamer Ibai Llanos.
The Moving Process
The moving process was gradual with little development on the matter reported throughout the offseason. The relocation was officially confirmed on September 5, when the franchise made a significant announcement.
Successful Relocation
On September 5, the Royal Ravens announced the successful relocation despite facing backlash from their UK fans after initial news of the move. The team is one of the last to announce its roster for the upcoming Call of Duty League 2023/24 season. Only LA Guerrillas and Vegas Legion have yet to disclose any concrete reports or rumors about their team members.
The Impact on the CDL
With this move, there are now no CDL franchises representing the UK, or Europe in general. Every other team has announced their roster during this CDL rostermania period, with the exception of Seattle Surge, who appear to have a roster ready.