Hacienda HP, Sake SND highlight big Map Pool changes going into Stage IV

The Call of Duty League is making more tweaks to its competitive map pool ahead of Stage IV, refining the overhaul that first arrived at the start of Stage III. Rather than another massive expansion, this update is about tightening the rotation: swapping out a few underperforming picks in Search & Destroy and removing a mistake in Hardpoint, while finally adding a fresh option to Overload.

On the Hardpoint side, Cliff Town exits the rotation, with Hacienda Hardpoint taking its place. The change keeps the overall HP count the same, but removes a map that was never even practiced by Professional teams. In Search & Destroy, the League is reshaping the pool by removing both Scar SND and Plaza SND, replacing them with Sake SND and Hacienda SND. Plaza's removal trims one of the more polarizing & rapid maps in the rotation, while Scar’s exit opens room for Sake’s tighter engagements and Hacienda’s mix of long-range lanes and close-quarters bomb sites.

The biggest structural change lands in Overload, where Gridlock Overload joins the map pool for the first time and makes its 4 total maps for Overload. After leaving the swing game mode untouched in Stage III, the League is now injecting some needed variety into the third game mode. Gridlock’s layout is unique as it has only one ball spawn point, adding another layer of prep to series planning as coaches decide when to lean on it in vetoes.

Taken together, these Stage IV changes make strong improvements to the map pool for the end of the season. By rotating out some of the less-made picks and maps that have grown stale, the League is nudging the meta toward a more exciting meta for the season's finale.