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Miley Cyrus Traded Her Wrecking Ball For A Mirror Ball In A ‘Midnight Sun’ Performance At The 2020 VMAs

Miley Cyrus began teasing a new era of music shortly after she shared last year’s mellow EP, She Is Coming. While details of her upcoming full-length, She Is Miley Cyrus, have yet to be revealed, the singer recently shared the lead single. “Midnight Sun” arrived as a ’80s-inspired anthem of empowerment alongside her self-directed video. Now, Cyrus has graced us with her first-ever live performance of the single at the 2020 VMAs.

Trading in her wrecking ball for a mirrored disco ball, Cyrus gave it all in a dance-ready rendition of the track. Sporting an iridescent dress and her newly-sheared mullet, Cyrus showcased her smokey vocals with the disco-inspired track. “Fire in my lungs, can’t bite the devil on my tongue, oh no / I don’t need to be loved by you,” Cyrus belted.

Ahead of her performance, Cyrus opened up about the status of her impending release. The singer said she already has about 20 songs recorded for the record, but fans may need to be a little more patience before hearing full LP. “I really think that the record I made is meant for festivals, for shows, for touring,” she said. “So for me, I really want to wait until I can perform… my live performances really drive my music. That’s where I thrive: Me and the band. That’s what I would love to see happen in the near future, and I’m a patient person; Even though it may not seem that way, I am pretty patient, so I think I would like to wait until we can get connected to release a whole body of work.”

Watch Cyrus perform “Midnight Sun” at the 2020 VMAs above.

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DaBaby Reunited With The Jabbawockeez For His VMAs Performance Of ‘Blind,’ ‘Peephole,’ And ‘Rockstar’

DaBaby reunited with the Jabbawockeez for his VMAs performance of “Blind,” “Peephole,” and “Rockstar,” all backdropped by apocalyptic visuals and — of course — elaborate choreography from the masked dance team.

DaBaby is no stranger to the virtual concert, using his appearance on the 2020 BET Awards to comment on the civil unrest currently unfolding nationwide in the wake of a string of high-profile incidents that saw police killing Black American citizens without consequence. However, that didn’t stop him from seeking to recover some of his lost revenue with a live show in Georgia that drew criticism for failing to follow social distancing guidelines.

Still, that was a far cry from where DaBaby started the year — under fire for accidentally punching a woman who got too close while trying to get a photo in a club, then garnering a lukewarm reception for his new album, Blame It On Baby. DaBaby may have wound up getting the last laugh, though.

For one thing, his and Roddy Ricch’s single from the album, “Rockstar,” not only topped Spotify’s most-streamed songs of the summer in addition to its several weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100, but his appearance on a pair of peers’ singles put him in rare company with three songs in the top ten of the Hot 100. He’s also got a deluxe version of Blame It On Baby with 10 new tracks, so in the grand scheme of things, he’s one of the few people who can count 2020 as a good year — from a personal perspective, at least.

Watch DaBaby’s VMA performance of “Blind,” “Peephole,” and “Rockstar” above.

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Keke Palmer Dedicated The 2020s VMAs To The Memory Of Chadwick Boseman Ahead Of The Show

Ahead of the 2020 MTV VMAs, show host Keke Palmer appeared in a hastily pre-recorded message to address what she called the “devastating” loss of actor Chadwick Boseman on Friday, August 28. The clip was apparently shot without the benefit of professional equipment; Palmer used the opportunity to dedicate the show to Boseman’s memory. The VMAs official Twitter account echoed the sentiment, posting “RIP Chadwick Boseman. Tonight’s #VMAs is dedicated to him.”

Boseman passed away at the age of 43 after a four-year battle with colon cancer, drawing a wave of of responses from across the movie, music, and sports worlds. Boseman, who portrayed the Marvel Comics superhero Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, received tributes during the NBA Playoffs as his co-stars and Black Panther director Ryan Coogler mourned him, marking his importance across the spectrum of pop culture, but especially for Black Americans who saw themselves in his portrayal of the Black superhero who broke box office records left and right and gave the world the iconic phrase “Wakanda forever.”

Boseman was praised for filming no less than six movies while fighting the cancer: Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, 21 Bridges, Da 5 Bloods, and of course, Black Panther.

Watch the VMAs’ tribute to Chadwick Boseman above.

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The Weeknd Looked Over Nighttime Manhattan For His Dazzling VMAs Performance Of ‘Blinding Lights’

With a No. 1 album and single in 2020, it’s been a huge year for The Weeknd. An awards show this year wouldn’t be complete without his presence, so thankfully, he led a stacked roster of artists performing at this year’s MTV VMAs.

For the show, he performed his aforementioned No. 1 single, “Blinding Lights.” Like previous performances of the track, it was cinematic in its presentation. Wearing his classic After Hours-era get-up, the camera stayed tight on his face before switching angles to reveal the 1000-foot-high Manhattan roof he was on. The performance literally ended with a bang, via a fleet of fireworks behind him.

The Weeknd is one of the top nominees at this year’s show, as he and Billie Eilish both sit in second place with six nods each. The Weeknd is up for Artist Of The Year, and his “Blinding Lights” video is nominated for Video Of The Year, Best R&B, Best Direction, Best Cinematography, and Best Editing.

The After Hours promotional cycle has hinged on creative TV performances from The Weeknd. He brought “Heartless” to The Late Show late last year, and instead of taking the stage in the traditional way, he instead navigated the bowels of the backstage area, finding himself in surreal environments that made for a unique visual experience. He continued to extend the cinematic universe of After Hours with a Jimmy Kimmel Live! performance of “Blinding Lights” the next month, in which he was beat up and bandaged, much like he was for the album’s visuals.

Watch the performance above, and find the full list of this year’s VMAs winners here.

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Chloe x Halle Deliver A Flashy, Futuristic Performance Of ‘Ungodly Hour’ At The 2020 MTV VMAs

Bringing their undeniable talents to the big stage, Chloe x Halle took to the 2020 MTV VMAs to perform “Ungodly Hour.” Rocking a flashy look for their performance, the duo impressed with their performance of the Ungoldly Hour title track as they let their voices fly and dazzle the ears of listeners. Bringing life to what appears to be an empty warehouse, Chloe x Halle shined brightly thanks to the light show that bounced all over their wardrobe in the second VMA performance of their career. The duo is also up for two awards tonight with “Do It” receiving nominations in the Best R&B and Best Quarantine Performance categories.

Chloe X Halle’s performance comes months after the sisters shared their sophomore album earlier this year. Presented with thirteen songs and a guest appearance from Swae Lee, Chloe x Halle reached new heights while stripping their innocence for listeners on the new project. The duo has brought their new album to numerous TV platforms including a recent performance of “Do It” on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. Adding on to their very successful year, Chloe X Halle also landed on Michelle Obama’s Spotify playlist which she released to support her newly-launched podcast, Higher Ground: The Michelle Obama.

Watch their 2020 MTV VMAs performance in the video above.

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Jon Rahm Beat Dustin Johnson In A Playoff With A 66-Foot Birdie Putt

The BMW Championship at Olympia Fields this week proved to be a U.S. Open-like test for the second event of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, as scores the first three days were well above par on average, even for 70 of the best golfers in the world. However, Sunday produced a softer, more gettable course and the result was a thrilling final round.

Jon Rahm posted a 6-under 64 on Sunday to move into the clubhouse lead at 4-under for the tournament, one ahead of Dustin Johnson as he came down the closing stretch of holes. Johnson arrived at 18 needing a birdie to force a playoff, and was in serious trouble after pushing his tee shot into the trees right of the fairway. He hit a sensational cut shot from 182 yards to give himself a putt at birdie, but faced a lengthy, double breaker down the hill. Naturally, the No. 1 player in the world buried it.

Rahm was on the range staying warm in case of a playoffs when the roar from the 18th green went up for Johnson’s putt, and the two arrived back on the long 18th for the first sudden death playoff hole. This time it was Rahm who pushed his tee shot right into the rough, while Johnson got a great bounce off a tree left and kicked into the middle of the fairway. From there, DJ played a sensible shot into the center of the green, hole high, while Rahm caught a flyer and had a winding, 66-foot putt from the opposite corner of the green.

Naturally, the No. 2 player in the world buried it.

For a format that hasn’t always produced exciting results in years past, this week at the BMW Championship was some of the finest non-major golf you’ll see. On a course that had a major championship setup and required everything of players, the two best players in the world separated themselves on Sunday and met in the playoff, producing fireworks on 18. Heading into the Tour Championship, they’ll also be 1-2 in the FedEx Cup standings, meaning DJ starts a 10-under and Rahm starts at 8-under at East Lake, as they battle it out for $10 million.

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The Full List Of 2020 MTV VMAs Winners

After sharing the nominations for the award show at the top of the month, the 2020 MTV VMAs will celebrate some of the industry’s best visuals tonight at the award show. In what’s been a tough year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the award show has made the necessary adjustments to bring music lovers an enjoyable night of entertainment.

Leading the way with nine nominations each, Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande both look to bring home multiple trophies following their impressive years. After sweeping the big four at the Grammy’s earlier this year, Billie Eilish is up for six awards at this year’s VMAs.

With winners being announced throughout the night, make sure to check back here to stay updated on who goes home with a Moonman award tonight.

Video of the Year
Billie Eilish, “Everything I Wanted”
Eminem Feat. Juice WRLD, “Godzilla”
Future Feat. Drake, “Life Is Good”
Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande, “Rain On Me”
Taylor Swift, “The Man”
The Weeknd, “Blinding Lights”

Artist of the Year
DaBaby
Justin Bieber
Lady Gaga
Megan Thee Stallion
Post Malone
The Weeknd

Song of the Year
Billie Eilish, “Everything I Wanted”
Doja Cat, “Say So”
Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande, “Rain On Me”
Megan Thee Stallion, “Savage”
Post Malone, “Circles”
Roddy Ricch, “The Box”

Best Collaboration
Ariana Grande & Justin Bieber, “Stuck with U”
Black Eyed Peas Feat. J Balvin, “RITMO (Bad Boys for Life)”
Ed Sheeran Feat. Khalid, “Beautiful People”
Future Feat. Drake, “Life Is Good”
KAROL G Feat. Nicki Minaj, “Tusa”
Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande, “Rain On Me”

PUSH Best New Artist
Doja Cat
Jack Harlow
Lewis Capaldi
Roddy Ricch
Tate McRae
YUNGBLUD

Best Pop
BTS, “ON”
Halsey, “You should be sad”
Jonas Brothers, “What A Man Gotta Do”
Justin Bieber Feat. Quavo, “Intentions” [ft. Quavo]
Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande, “Rain On Me”
Taylor Swift, “Lover”

Best Hip-Hop
DaBaby, “BOP”
Eminem Feat. Juice WRLD, “Godzilla”
Future Feat. Drake, “Life Is Good”
Megan Thee Stallion: “Savage”
Roddy Ricch, “The Box”
Travis Scott, “Highest In The Room”

Best Rock
Blink-182, “Happy Days”
Coldplay, “Orphans”
Evanescence, “Wasted on You”
Fall Out Boy Feat. Wyclef Jean “Dear Future Self (Hands Up)”
Green Day, “Oh Yeah!”
The Killers, “Caution”

Best Alternative
The 1975, “If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know)”
All Time Low, “Some Kind of Disaster”
Finneas, “Let’s Fall in Love for the Night”
Lana Del Rey, “Doin’ time”
Machine Gun Kelly, “Bloody Valentine”
Twenty One Pilots, “Level of Concern”

Best Latin
Anuel Feat. Daddy Yankee, Ozuna, KAROL G, and J Balvin, “China”
Bad Bunny, “Yo Perreo Sola”
Black Eyed Peas Feat. Ozuna and J. Rey Soul, “MAMACITA”
KAROL G Feat. Nicki Minaj, “Tusa”
Maluma Feat. J Balvin, “Qué Pena”

Best R&B
Alicia Keys, “Underdog”
Chloe x Halle, “Do It”
HER Feat. YG, “Slide” [ft. YG]
Khalid Feat. Summer Walker, “Eleven”
Lizzo, “CUZ I LOVE YOU”
The Weeknd, “Blinding Lights”

Best K-Pop
(G)I-DLE, “Oh My God”
BTS, “ON”
EXO, “Obsession”
Monsta X: “SOMEONE’S SOMEONE”
Tomorrow X Together, “9 and Three Quarters (Run Away)”
Red Velvet, “Psycho”

Video for Good
Anderson .Paak, “Lockdown”
Billie Eilish, “All The Good Girls Go To Hell”
Demi Lovato, “I Love Me”
HER, “I Can’t Breathe”
Lil Baby, “The Bigger Picture”
Taylor Swift, “The Man”

Best Music Video From Home
5 Seconds of Summer, “Wildflower”
Ariana Grande & Justin Bieber, “Stuck with U”
Blink-182, “Happy Days”
Drake, “Toosie Slide”
John Legend, “Bigger Love”
Twenty One Pilots: “Level of Concern”

Best Quarantine Performance
Chloe & Halle, “Do It” from MTV’s Prom-athon
CNCO, Unplugged at Home
DJ D-Nice, Club MTV presents #DanceTogether
John Legend, #TogetherAtHome Concert Series
Lady Gaga, “Smile” from One World: Together At Home
Post Malone, Nirvana Tribute

Best Direction
Billie Eilish, “xanny” (dir. Billie Eilish)
Doja Cat, “Say So” (dir. Hannah Lux Davis)
Dua Lipa, “Don’t Start Now” (dir. Nabil)
Harry Styles, “Adore You” (dir. Dave Meyers)
Taylor Swift, “The Man” (dir. Taylor Swift)
The Weeknd, “Blinding Lights” (dir. Anton Tammi)

Best Cinematography
5 Seconds of Summer, “Old Me” (cinematography: Kieran Fowler)
Camila Cabello Feat. DaBaby “My Oh My” (cinematography: Dave Meyers)
Billie Eilish, “All The Good Girls Go To Hell” (cinematography: Christopher Probst)
Katy Perry, “Harleys in Hawaii” (cinematography: Arnau Valls)
Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande, “Rain on Me” (cinematography: Thomas Kloss)
The Weeknd, “Blinding Lights” (cinematography: Oliver Millar)

Best Art Direction
A$AP Rocky, “Babushka Boi” (art direction: A$AP Rocky and Nadia Lee Cohen)
Dua Lipa, “Physical” (art direction: Anna Colomer Nogué)
Harry Styles, “Adore You” (art direction: Laura Ellis Cricks)
Miley Cyrus, “Mother’s Daughter” (art direction: Christian Stone )
Selena Gomez, “Boyfriend” (art direction: Tatiana Bianca van Sauter)
Taylor Swift, “Lover” (art direction: Ethan Tobman)

Best Visual Effects
Billie Eilish, “All The Good Girls Go To Hell” (visual effects: Drive Studios)
Demi Lovato, “I Love Me” (visual effects: Hoody FX)
Dua Lipa, “Physical” (visual effects: EIGHTY4)
Harry Styles, “Adore You” (visual effects: Mathematic)
Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande, “Rain on Me” (visual effects: Ingenuity Studios)
Travis Scott, “Highest In The Room” (visual effects: Artjail, Scissor Films and Freenjoy)

Best Choreography
BTS: “ON” (choreography, Son Sung Deuk, Lee Ga Hun and Lee Byung Eun)
CNCO & Natti Natasha, “Honey Boo” (choreography: Kyle Hanagami)
DaBaby, “BOP” (choreography: Dani Leigh and Cherry)
Dua Lipa, “Physical” (choreography: Charm La’Donna)
Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande, “Rain on Me” (choreography: Richy Jackson)
Normani, “Motivation” (choreography: Sean Bankhead)

Best Editing
Halsey, “Graveyard” (editing: Emilie Aubry, Janne Vartia and Tim Montana)
James Blake, “Can’t Believe the Way We Flow” (editing: Frank Lebon)
Lizzo, “Good as Hell” (editing: Russell Santos and Sofia Kerpan)
Miley Cyrus, “Mother’s Daughter” (editing: Alexandre Moors and Nuno Xico)
Rosalía, “A Palé” (editing: Andre Jones)
The Weeknd, “Blinding Lights” (editing: Janne Vartia and Tim Montana)

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

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Jack Harlow Takes Over An Empty Arena To Perform ‘What’s Poppin’ At The 2020 MTV VMAs

Jack Harlow has been balling out in 2020, so it’s only right the Kentucky native took his talents to an empty basketball gym to perform his breakout hit, “What’s Poppin,” at the 2020 MTV VMAs. Rocking a Utah Jazz Donavon Mitchell jersey that read “Say Her Name” on the back, Harlow enthusiastically performed the track as a team of hoopers practiced some layups and dunks behind the rapper. In addition to the performance, Harlow also looks to take home an award in the PUSH Best New Artist category.

The performance arrives in the midst of an extremely successful year for Harlow. Rising to fame thanks to “What’s Poppin,” the single grew to be one of the year’s most popular releases. Following a remix featuring Lil Wayne, DaBaby, and Tory Lanez, the single would peak at No. 2 on the Billboard singles chart. Harlow also landed a spot in the 2020 XXL Freshman Class list where he appears alongside notable newcomers like Chika, Rod Wave, Polo G, and more.

On a more recent note, Harlow landed on a pair of guest features this past weekend as he appeared Problem’s “Nothin” with Jay Rock and a remix of Saweetie’s “Tap In” with Post Malone and DaBaby.

Check out footage from his performance in the video above.

Jack Harlow is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

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Three Takeaways From The Clippers Closing Out The Mavs In Game 6

After evening the series at 2-2 in a thrilling overtime win in Game 4, the Dallas Mavericks simply haven’t had enough for the Clippers in the previous two games and saw their postseason run end in a 111-97 L.A. win on Sunday afternoon.

The Clippers defense found its rhythm late in this series, showing the dominance they’re capable of on that end, and seeing Paul George come to life on the offensive end proved to be too much for the Mavericks. In Game 6, it was Kawhi Leonard who once again led the way with 33 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists, with George chipping in 15 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists as the two stars seem to be finding their comfort level together at the right time.

Dallas struggled mightily shooting the ball from deep in Game 6, hitting just 29.7 percent from downtown, and for a team dependent on playing at a historic level on offense to win games, that just made things untenable in what became a closeout game for the Clippers. Luka Doncic did his best, with 38 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists, but it just wasn’t enough to overcome a rough shooting night and Kawhi Leonard’s constant onslaught.

L.A. now moves on to the second round, awaiting either Denver or Utah, with the Jazz potentially being able to close things out later Sunday night and set up a Tuesday meeting with the Clippers. Dallas enters an offseason with plenty of optimism thanks to the presence of Doncic, but also areas to improve if they are to jump into contender status in the West.

Here are our three takeaways from Game 6 and this first round series as a whole.

Kawhi Leonard is still the Big Boss of the playoffs

There’s a reason the Clippers entered the Bubble as one of the three co-favorites to win the title, but they’re still trying to round into form as a complete team. Paul George emerging from his funk and opening up about the “dark place” he was in is, obviously, critical to their chances, and his play has been encouraging in the last two games. However, the north star for the Clippers is Kawhi Leonard who remains an absolute monster, capable of putting the team on his back for stretches on offense and locking down the opponent’s best player when needed on the other end.

He proved last year what his presence means for a team’s championship aspirations and even as the Clippers bench looks to find some semblance of the rhythm they had in the regular season, Leonard managed to all-but will this L.A. team to a series win. There isn’t a better tough shot maker in the NBA than Leonard, who regularly rises up over hard contests to calmly flick that flat jumper straight into the net or absorbs contact in the lane to push a floater over outstretched arms of opposing centers for demoralizing baskets.

Leonard became the first player in 20 years to have 30 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and five steals in a playoff game on Sunday, finishing with 33/13/7/5 to turn out the lights on Dallas. Paul George chipped in 15 points, Ivica Zubac matched that with 15 of his own, but this was just a masterpiece from Leonard, who watched the Mavs chip away at a big Clippers lead to cut it to six, before putting his foot down and ending it down the stretch in the fourth — with help from some clutch Reggie Jackson threes.

As the Clippers go forward they’ll need their bench unit — chiefly Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell — to regain their rhythm, as well as getting Patrick Beverley back on the court. But what puts them in that class with the Bucks and Lakers is Kawhi, one of the few stars in this league capable of legitimately willing a team to a win in a playoff game against an opponent that is otherwise playing better. Just look at his production in this series.

Luka Doncic will be a playoff fixture for a long time, but Dallas has roster work to do

If there were any doubt Doncic was a bonafide superstar, he put that to rest in this series. His stepback game-winner in Game 4 will be legendary and live on his highlight reel forever. He put up astronomical numbers despite the absence of Kristaps Porzingis for the final four games of the series and an ankle sprain that knocked him out of Game 3. In Game 6, Doncic finished with 38 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists, at times dragging the Mavs back into the game despite otherwise putrid shooting from deep.

Doncic is going to be in the mix for MVPs for years to come, that much is clear, and we know he’s not going to fold under the lights of the postseason, even against the most robust of opponents. However, what remains to be seen is if Dallas can build a team around him that can compete for championships. Kristaps Porzingis’ health is, first and foremost, the crucial piece to the puzzle, because his presence as the other max player next to Doncic makes him necessary for them to have a chance. Beyond that major question mark, Dallas has to figure out the defensive end of the floor. Maxi Kleber did yeoman’s work in this series, but aside from him there was rarely another plus defender on the floor. Their imbalance between offense and defense proved to get ugly in Game 6 when their shooters failed to knock down shots and simply couldn’t get stops on defense when they needed them, as Kawhi just mowed them down and it took one good pass to create an open three.

Dallas has found itself with a superstar, but now the hard part begins for this front office. They have to decide how to tinker with this roster to find more balance and be at least a capable defensive team, while continuing to surround Doncic with shooters to find with his incredible vision. It’s the hardest thing to do in the NBA, take the leap from good team to great team, even when you have a great player. That’s the task going forward for Dallas that few successfully pull off.

The Clippers bench has to find their form

The one aspect of the Clippers that most would point to as the thing that can separate them from the Lakers is their depth, but with the absences of Williams and Harrell earlier in the Bubble and the injury that kept Beverley out of action for much of this series, their bench unit has not been an advantage just yet. Williams was spectacular in Game 4, but hasn’t found his consistent rhythm yet (he was 1-of-9 from the field in Game 6), which the Clippers really could use with the pressure George is facing (as well as Leonard, but he seems almost immune to it). Getting Beverley back on the court to limit Reggie Jackson minutes, even as Jackson played well offensively in the fourth quarter of Game 6, would be a big boost for a defense that seems to be finding its teeth again of late.

The next round against either Utah or Denver will see L.A. as heavy favorites once again, but if they want to be a title contender they have to get that second unit going. Getting Williams rolling will, in turn, get Harrell going as his offensive production is tied very closely to his favorite pick-and-roll partner’s, and expect that to be a focal point for Doc Rivers’ bunch early in the next round.

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Dallas Empire Dominated Atlanta FaZe To Win The Inaugural Call Of Duty League Championship

Fans expected an intense matchup at the Call of Duty League Championship on Sunday. Neither the Atlanta FaZe or the Dallas Empire felt like they were significantly better than the other CDL powerhouse. With five wins necessary to take the title this seemed like a contest guaranteed to go eight games minimum.

Perhaps we should have expected a tidier match, however, as the Dallas Empire dominated from the very first game on the way to a dominant 5-1 gentleman’s sweep of the Atlanta FaZe to win the 2020 Call of Duty League championship. FaZe certainly had the talent to put up a decent fight, but any momentum they took in any of the rounds was quickly dashed by an Empire counter attack throughout Sunday’s final. Their only real moment of success, the Game 5 Hardpoint victory on Gun Runner, was immediately followed by another loss to seal the championship for Dallas.

The first sign that everything was not what it seemed was when Dallas jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead over Atlanta including Cave, a map that Atlanta had historically been great on.

Where we really knew something was off for Atlanta was when FaZe went down 3-0 on Search and Destroy. FaZe, a great 1v1 squad, struggled to control the board and lost on a map they came into 11-2 on all year.

Atlanta started to show something in Game 4 and went into the second half of Domination with an 18-point lead. Dallas responded with a huge clutch and dominated to clear the gap and enter Game 5 with a 4-0 lead plus a chance at the title.

Using the momentum they had gained from Game 4, FaZe dominated the K/D portion of the leaderboard in Game 5. Sometimes it’s really as simple as killing your opponent more than you die. FaZe did that and lived on to fight another round.

Dallas responded well in Game 6 search and destroy. While Atlanta was clearly playing better and kept it to a close matchup, the Empire won the round, 6-4, and it felt like they just kept getting stronger as the round went on. They were always ahead in members alive and it always seemed like they knew where FaZe was going to set up. It was a strong performance and exactly what Empire needed to do to take home the title.

The Empire are now your 2020 Call of Duty League champions in an incredibly dominant performance. It was a shock to see for many, not because of the Empire winning, but the way they went about it. You don’t expect a team like FaZe to go away, but sometimes you get to the title matchup and it doesn’t go quite as expected.

That said, maybe the Empire should have been considered the stronger team from the start. They had the regular season MVP in Shotzzy, the winningest player in Call of Duty history in C6 (also known as Crimsix,) and a member of the 2019 World Championship team with Clayster. This team was set up well to be the inaugural winners of the Call of Duty league and as long as they keep this roster around they could be in a great position to dominate for a long time.