Teams rush to secure a section on the map referred to as a “Hardpoint” while combating the opposing team. When at least one member of a team is standing on a Hardpoint, that team earns one point for every second they own the area. If an enemy enters the zone the area becomes “Contested” and no points are awarded until the remaining enemies are removed from the objective.

Every sixty seconds, the location of the Hardpoint moves to a new area of the map. Teams can strategize around the clock, setting up or “rotating” to the next Hardpoint in preparation for the zone change. The Hardpoint locations differ on each map; however, the rotation order is static and not random, giving a team the ability to practice their rotation strategies in the search for glory.

Search & Destroy (or S&D, SnD) is the only mode in the Call of Duty League that does not feature respawning – the ability to get back in action after being eliminated. In this mode, an attacking team must bring a bomb to one of two points marked on the map, plant the device, and protect it from being defused.

If the device is planted, the defending team will have a short window of time to defuse the device before it explodes. If the device is defused, they are victorious.

Alternatively, either team may win by eliminating all opposing team members. If attackers arm the device before they fall, the defenders will still need to defuse the device before the timer runs out.

The first team to six wins the match.

Control brings together some elements of S&D and Hardpoint in a way that feels completely unique. Like S&D, teams alter between attacking and defending two pre-determined objective areas on the map. Like Hardpoint, these objectives are hills where attackers must stand in to capture them.

Each team gets a collective 30 lives per round. A team takes a round by capturing both hills on offense, run out the clock on defense or if either team eliminates all lives of the opposing team within the time limit. Attackers can add one minute to the overall game clock by capturing a Control point.

Teams can also win by eliminating all 30 lives of the opposing team.

Control is played across three rounds.