Presented by USAA, the event will livestream on the Call of Duty YouTube and Twitch channels starting December 11 at 10 am PT. Viewers who link their Call of Duty and Twitch accounts and then watch for at least 30 minutes will be rewarded with a Weapon 2XP token via Twitch Drop, courtesy of USAA.
“CODE Bowl is a premiere gaming event made even more impactful by the work of the Endowment to help place veterans into careers following their military service,” said USAA Chief Brand Officer Tony Wells, a former infantry officer in the US Marines. “USAA is proud to support CODE Bowl and expand our involvement in esports as a way to celebrate military members and veterans and help them connect with each other through games they love.”
The Tournament
This year, players will dive into a 6v6 multiplayer mode on Call of Duty®: Black Ops Cold War. The tournament-style competition features eight teams captained by a popular Call of Duty streamer leading players from the armed services in the US and the UK. Rounding out the teams will be another top streamer working alongside their team’s captain.
In addition, all of the teams will be coached by a professional from the Call of Duty League who will provide strategy, tips, and recommendations prior to the start of the tournament. The winning team will receive the CODE Bowl Trophy and, of course, bragging rights among fellow streamers and military comrades.
The CODE Bowl is also partnered with Ram Trucks, which is giving away a 2021 Ram 1500 truck to a deserving veteran who has recently been placed in a job through the assistance of the Endowment.
The CODE Bowl will be hosted by Erin Ashley Simon and co-hosted by Jess Brohard, with commentary from popular steamers Maven and Pacman. The live play-by-play will broadcast safely from a studio in Columbus, Ohio. In order to adhere to CDC guidelines, each team will compete remotely from various locations across the US and UK, either from player homes or their respective military bases.
As it was last year, 100 percent of the net proceeds from the tournament will go towards placing veterans into high-quality jobs. So far, the Endowment has funded the placement of over 77,000 veterans into meaningful employment since its founding in 2009, and plans on placing 100,000 vets by 2024.