The Call of Duty League has expanded the Map Pool for Stage III with historic additions.
-1776098037690.webp)
The League has officially updated its map pool ahead of Stage III, introducing a major change that will see six Hardpoint and six Search & Destroy maps in rotation for the first time in the CDL era. The expansion gives teams more strategic variety heading into the back half of the 2026 season and marks one of the most ambitious balance updates in recent competitive Call of Duty history.
On the Hardpoint side, Sake, Cliff Town, and Gridlock have been added to the pool, while Exposure and Blackheart have been removed. Sources indicate Exposure’s removal stems from a persistent frame‑rate issue affecting competitive play. With three new Hardpoint maps now live, teams will have to quickly adapt strategies, spawns, and setups across a wider rotation than ever before.
In Search & Destroy, Plaza, Gridlock, and Fringe enter the lineup, replacing Colossus and, again, Exposure, which exits both competitive modes due to the same technical concerns. The refreshed pool introduces several classic designs and tighter, faster engagements, potentially shifting the meta for both offensive and defensive setups.
Overload remains unchanged for Control, meaning Stage III will maintain the same Control rotation from Stage II. With double the map depth in two of the league’s core modes, fans can expect a surge of tactical diversity, and perhaps a few early‑stage upsets, as players and coaches adjust to this historic CDL map pool.