The Department of the Air Force Gaming League (DAFGL) announced first details on its Spring 2025 Season, promising some new formats for its Core and Ladder Leagues. “core leagues are competitions for active duty players within the military-backed league, while Ladder Leagues are open to everyone.
During the Spring 2025 Season, The Core Leagues will focus on competitions for Call of Duty Black Ops 6 (4v4), League of Legends, and Apex Legends. Core Leagues will feature an eight-week Swiss/Round Robin regular season, culminating in a playoff, with the top eight teams competing in a single-elimination bracket, then a Grand Finals for each title. The finals will be broadcast live on May 3 – 4 on official DAFGL channels.
Important dates for Core Leagues:
- Jan. 13: registration opens.
- Feb. 5: registration closes, brackets are formed.
- Feb. 8: first day of matches.
- March 29: final day of the regular season.
- April 26-27: Quarterfinals and Semifinals.
- May 3-4: Finals Broadcast
Ladder Leagues will feature open competitions on Call of Duty: Warzone (2v2), Rocket League (2v2), Magic: The Gathering (Pauper Format, 1v1), Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (1v1), and Apex Legends (3v3). As noted earlier, Ladder Leagues welcome are open to all skill levels, with no rank restrictions or military status requirements for participation. Queues will be open every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday throughout the season, allowing participants to compete at their convenience.
Key dates for Ladder Leagues:
- Jan. 13: Registration opens (ongoing throughout the season)
- Jan. 18: Ladder queues open
- May 4: Final day of Ladders
Finally, Military focused insurance provider USAA returns as a supporting partner for the Spring 2025 Season. Financial terms of that deal were not disclosed.
More details about the competition can be found at airforcegaming.com/dafgl.
The Department of the Air Force Gaming League (DAFGL) is funded by the United States Air Force, a branch of the U.S. military. Many of these competitions operated by the U.S. military have long been criticized for being poorly disguised recruitment drives, engaging young men and women in the hope of getting them to sign up for military service. Critics of those allegations have pointed out that the military engages young people where they are; for example they are often part of career day promotions at public and private schools throughout the U.S. aimed at seniors heading off for higher education at colleges and universities.