Heretics win twice, stay alive at CDL Major 3

The Miami Heretics won twice Friday and advanced to the third round of the elimination bracket at the Call of Duty League's Stage 3 Major in Toronto.

The Heretics beat the Vegas Legion 3-2 in the first round and the Los Angeles Thieves 3-1 in Round 2.

In a back-and-forth first-round match in the lower bracket, Vegas won 250-223 on Sub Base Hardpoint, but Miami answered with a 6-4 win on 6 Star Search and Destroy. The Legion responded with a 3-2 victory on Highrise Control but lost 250-230 on 6 Star Hardpoint. The Heretics advanced with a 6-2 win on Invasion Search and Destroy.

Miami then faced Los Angeles, which beat the Boston Breach 3-2 to advance to the second round. The Heretics jumped out early thanks to a 250-232 win on 6 Star Hardpoint and a 6-5 victory on 6 Star Search and Destroy. The Thieves stayed alive thanks to a 3-1 win on Highrise Control, but Miami put them away with a 250-152 triumph on Sub Base Hardpoint.

The team that wins the major, which runs through Sunday, will get $150,000 and 100 CDL points. The total prize pool is worth $375,000, with the top eight teams at the event splitting those funds.

Toronto won the Stage 1 Major in January. Atlanta claimed the Stage 2 Major in March.

The top eight seeds started the major in the winners bracket, where four first-round matches were played Thursday. Losers of those matches were sent to the elimination bracket to square off with a bottom-four seed.

Also on Friday, the Seattle Surge beat the Minnesota Rokkr 3-1 and the Carolina Royal Ravens topped the Los Angeles Guerrillas 3-1. Seattle and Carolina are set to square off Saturday in the second round of the elimination bracket.

Stage 3 Major play continues Saturday with five matches:

--Atlanta FaZe vs. New York Subliners (winners bracket round 2)

--Toronto Ultra vs. OpTic Texas (winners bracket round 2)

--Seattle Surge vs. Carolina Royal Ravens (elimination bracket round 2)

--Miami Heretics vs. team TBD (elimination bracket round 3)

--Teams TBD (elimination bracket round 3)

Stage 3 Major prize money and CDL points

1. $150,000, 100 points -- TBD

2. $90,000, 75 points -- TBD

3. $60,000, 60 points -- TBD

4. $30,000, 45 points -- TBD

5-6. $15,000, 30 points -- TBD

7-8. $7,500, 15 points -- Los Angeles Thieves, one team TBD

9-12. No money, no points -- Vegas Legion, Boston Breach, Minnesota Rokkr, Los Angeles Guerrillas