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While Daniel is Rocket League’s Hottest Prospect, he is not Rookie of the Year

Daniel Signs With Spacestation Gaming

Where does the hype come from with Rocket League Championship Series rookie Daniel? Daniel Piecenski entered the professional Esports world in 2020 when he was just 13 years old. He reached Rank S in Rocket League 6 Mans, putting him at RLCS level. The minimum age to play in RLCS events is 15, so Daniel wouldn’t join the league until this year. He signed with Spacestation Gaming and is already competing at what many would say is at a “Rookie-of-the-year” level.

Despite his fanfare, Daniel has stiff competition for Rookie-of-the-Year. Daniel may be a top prospect, but other rookies like Seikoo and Vatira are performing well above what many would say is prospect level. Seikoo led Team Endpoint to wins in two of the three Fall regional events, making his team the top seed in Europe. Meanwhile, Daniel’s stellar play culminated in a peak of second place at the Winter Regional Event 1 – X Games Open.

During the Winter Europe Regional Events, Vatira made his case for Rookie of the Year. Team Queso took first place in two of three regional events, including a win over Team Endpoint in event three’s Grand Final. This matchup saw Vatira come face to face with his Rookie of the Year competition in Seikoo. Although Team Queso walked away with the victory, Vatira did not massively outplay Seikoo. Seikoo’s score across seven games was the highest on his team, with many asserting that Vatira got more production from his teammates.

Where was Daniel in all of this? Spacestation Gaming was bounced out of the playoffs in round one of the third North American Regional Event. The squad finished in 10th place, which is a bit of a regression from their performance in the Fall regional events before Daniel joined. Daniel has put together a great first showing, especially considering how young he is and the improvements he’ll be able to make from playing at RLCS level. But compared to others in the Rookie of the Year race, his team hasn’t accomplished enough to overtake players like Vatira and Seikoo.

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News Rocket League

Boston Scott’s Eventful History with Rocket League

Boston Scott Joins Dignitas Rocket League

During the day, NFL running back Boston Scott is hitting the gym, practicing with his team, the Philadelphia Eagles, and scoring touchdowns on the field. At night though, he’s grinding on Rocket League where he ranks in the top .52% of players all-time. Scott has been a long-time Rocket League enthusiast, and his hard work culminated when he officially entered the esports world! Scott recently signed with Dignitas to play for their Rocket League team professionally, making him the first two-sport NFL and Rocket League pro. Here is Boston Scott’s eventful history with Rocket League…

During the 2021 NFL off-season, Scott began streaming Rocket League on Twitch with content creators like SunlessKhan. When training camp began, his streaming grind slowed; but he made it clear how much he missed playing the game live. He formed a relationship with Gridiron Gaming Group, promoting and competing in their Rocket League tournaments. He showed great interest in not only the game itself but the esports scene and its surrounding culture. Following a tough loss on the NFL field, playing Rocket League was Scott’s distraction of choice.

He’d often post highlights from his games, and tag Rocket League‘s official accounts to share his passion. Later in 2021, Scott expressed his disappointment when he wasn’t invited to participate in the Gridiron Games. Fans were just as confused and disappointed, but this was just the beginning, with more opportunities lying ahead. In early 2022, Scott took to Twitter to declare Rocket League a top-five Esport. He, himself, would join the Esport shortly after, signing with Team Dignitas.

Scott noticed the increasing popularity of Rocket League among NFL players and pitched a Twitch Rivals streamer bowl featuring NFL athletes. He’s remained heavily involved in creating a bridge between the NFL and Rocket League esports, working behind the scenes on a to-be-announced project. He should have fewer issues getting invited to events as he’s proven his commitment to the Rocket League Esport and community. Factor in the fact that he’s pretty good at the game, so Dignitas certainly has an interesting journey ahead with Boston Scott.

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News Rocket League

What Akrew’s Disappointing Rocket League Debut Means For Their Future

Akrew Rocket League Team

Akrew found success during the pandemic with the creation of Nookazon and Traderie, two platforms where players can trade and sell video game items. Akrew again found success with the launch of their Valorant esports team, amassing a win streak of over 30 games. They looked to follow up on this momentum when they announced their entrance into Rocket League esports. The organization acquired Vibrance, a North American team comprised of Ty “Astro” Bullinger, Fernando “Fefe” Hulzar, Arlin “Oath” Burns, and substitute Rhys “Gear” Peña. Unfortunately, things have not immediately gone as well as they have with Akrew’s other ventures.

Akrew’s Rocket League team just competed in their first series with the organization, the Winter RLCS 2021-2022 North American Regional Closed Qualifier. The team finished in 12th place with a sub .500 record of 8-9, failing to qualify for the third Regional Event. They’re performance in round one against Torrent was already underwhelming and fell below what we’ve seen from Astro and company in the past. They lost the series three games to two, including two straight overtime losses and a scoreless finale. While playing as Vibrance, this same team finished in second place at the Fall 2021-2022 RLCS North American Regional Event Closed Qualifier with a 9-5 record.

Right out of the gate, it would appear as if the team is was showing signs of regression while playing for their new organization. In reality, it’s more likely that the team is simply not improving at a rate fast enough to rise the ranks. This makes sense considering they’ve operated as a mostly independent team up until this point. Rosters they’ve beaten decisively in the past, like Version1 and XSET, have made it to the main event and are seeing increased amounts of success. The ability to not only compete with but also defeat these teams is there; Akrew will just have to find ways to refine their team strategies and execute new ones.

This could actually be the perfect dynamic since Akrew has more than enough resources to enhance the team’s training, and a talented roster for the molding. From an organization standpoint, Akrew will need to invest in the development of the team and remain patient as their players grow and improve. Both Oath and Fefe just joined the team last year in July with Astro being the only on-field mainstay to this point. He’s been with the team since 2020 and was a part of its revival in May of last year. With a talented and young cornerstone to build around, Akrew has the chance to create their own identity for this squad and etch a unique path.

So what does this mean for Akrew’s future in Rocket League? It means that fans are probably going to see roster changes and gameplay adjustments in the coming year. As the organization becomes more abreast in the esports world, it’s important for them to take their time and avoid expanding too fast. Two teams competing in two different games, especially when one is already struggling, is a tall task as is. Fans should definitely be intrigued by Akrew’s Rocket League venture; and keep an eye on what the adjustments they make for the next series.

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Rocket League

How Will The RLCS League Expansion Affect the 2021-2022 Season?

RLCS is Back Graphic

Psyonix revealed some big changes coming to the The Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS) 2021-2022 season in a new announcement trailer. Along with a revamped format, the league has expanded to add three new regions. RLCS will now include the Asia-Pacific North, Asia-Pacific South, Middle East and North Africa regions.

This encompasses an assortment of countries like India, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, and many more. Psyonix told press that the new regions have been scouted and possess a “competitive pool of players.” What this means for the upcoming season is that there will be a lot more moving parts and lot of new faces rising the ranks. To make the integration as smooth as possible, there will also be a new format meant to “increase the uniformity” of the league and competitions. RLCS X was admittedly their biggest format change ever, but of course a league expansion requires much needed format amendments.

The Fall, Winter and Spring Splits will return this season, with each Split consisting of three Regional Events capped with a Major. All Regional Events will begin with an Open-Qualifier, but some teams can auto-qualify for Regional Events based on their performance in previous ones. Each Split features a unique format; the Fall Split employs a Swiss format that feeds into an eight-team, single-elimination bracket, the Winter Split will have teams battle through a Group Stage with four groups which then culminates into an elimination bracket, and finally the Spring Split will employ a simple double elimination format. Points from Regional Events and Majors are used to qualify to the Rocket League World Championship; points earned in the Majors will be weighted more. Other than that, things will mostly play out the same way as last season.

The expansion of the league means expansion of competition, with seven regions vying for a spot in the Rocket League World Championship. Eight of the spots will be taken by auto-qualifications awarded to the Regions that perform the best at Majors. There’s a great chance the RLCS Main Event will look a lot different this year. RLCS returns on October 15th broadcasting on the Rocket League Twitch Channel. Signs-ups open soon!

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Rocket League

ThO Departs Guild Esports For The Flying Dutchmen

Guild Esports' thank you graphic to ThO

Thomas “ThO” Binkhorst was one of Guild Esports’ inaugural Rocket League players, having been with the organization since its genesis. He’s been benched for the last couple months, making todays news far from surprising. Guild Esports announced on Twitter that ThO would be departing the team to continue his professional career.

ThO will still be competing in the Rocket League Championship Series (RCLS) as a member of The Flying Dutchmen. The team is complete with all Dutch players, including Jos “ViolentPanda” van Meurs, and Ole “oaly.” ViolentPanda seems to be leading the charge as a renowned Rocket League legend with a track record of getting the most out of the players around him. The trio have played together before at various events and are expected to have a good amount of success next season; possibly taking a Worlds spot from one of the established top six. ViolentPanda announced on Twitter that the team is currently looking for an organization to represent, as well as a sub.

As for Guild Esports, Dan “bluey” Bluett played as a stand-in for the team while ThO sat out his final two months with the organization. It hasn’t been confirmed that he will be ThO’s official replacement, so Guild Esports is technically still on the hunt for a new third. Fans only got to see a small sample of what bluey can do with the team, but the reception so far seems to be that this would be a lateral move at best. During his peak, bluey was a Season 8 RCLS EU MVP, however, he has seen a decline over the past couple seasons. He’s also been criticized as a “toxic” teammate, but time, maturity, and the natural chemistry advantage of an all English roster could be just what he needed to turn things around if he joins the team permanently.

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Rocket League

Signing Chaussette45 Could Turn Semper Esports Into a Championship Roster

SMPR Semper Esports Logo
SMPR Semper Esports Logo

Semper Esports (SMPR) announced the official signing of Chaussette45 in what many call the worst kept secret in Rocket League esports. The France native made his debut for SMPR at Gamers Without Borders 2021 (GWB), helping bring home the trophy and a $200,000 donation for UNICEF. Speculation swarmed when his former teammate, Aztral, seemed to leak the news in a Twitch stream a month ago. The official announcement came as no surprise and was met with a highly favorable response from SMPR fans. Can Chaussette45 really be the piece that pushes SMPR over the hump and leads them to an RCLS Championship?

The team is coming off of a third place finish in the regular season and third-fourth finish in the championship series. Chaussette45 is also coming off a pretty successful season of his own, helping team Oxygen clinch the top 6 and a spot in the RCLS X championships. In his SMPR debut at GWB, Chaussette45 put forth an impressive performance with his new squad. He was definitely their glue on the defensive end throughout the tournament and even put forth a crucial five saves in their game five win against Team Singularity. He was somewhat inconsistent on the offensive end, however that can be chocked up to team chemistry, as well him electing to fill in the gaps needed rather chase goals.

This type of player just might be what SMPR needs right now. Kassio and Archie are a strong two who can provide goals, masterful shot percentages, and have experience playing together. Chausette45 compliments the duo very well, and proved to be an adaptable third on the field. The offense he was able to bring to the table, though inconsistent, came at all the right times when SMPR needed it the most; like when he helped notch a 1 goal win against Payback in game 2. As time goes by, SMPR will only get better together and is already a dangerous team when RCLS Season 11 rolls around.

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Rocket League

What can we expect from The Peeps?

Don’t let the Faze Clan reveal fool you, The Peeps are still the underdogs. They emerged from Dreamhack Montreal 2019 with a Cinderella story that put them on the map. Fans have now gotten their first glimpse of what The Peeps can do in the Rocket League Championship Series with a big organization behind them. This season taught fans a lot about them as a team and will set the tone for expectations going forward. What are their biggest strengths, their biggest weaknesses, and how far will they take Faze next season?

Gyro, AYYJAYY, Allushin, and Moopy reaffirmed their ability to play aggressively while remaining defensively responsible. They also displayed their ability to maintain pace down the stretch, with or without a lead. It seems like AYYJAYY especially is all over the field at all times, making saves and scoring points. Faze always finds a way to transition the ball to the opposing half and apply pressure. They did begin to struggle converting this into points as the tournament went on…

When it comes to weaknesses, a lot of pitfalls in their game can be chalked up to inexperience. In their second game against Spacestation, they made a questionable call to go 2v2 down the stretch that ended up costing them the game. AYYJAYY is probably their biggest offensive threat and placing him out of position to utilize his strengths did them no favors. This was a good attempt at versatility though since they’ll need to find new ways of attacking and working outside their comfort zone. Teams they’ve beaten before, like G2, seemed to completely shut down any offensive momentum Faze could muster, and even scored more and more easily on their defense as the series went on.

So what does this mean for Faze next season? They got sent home early in round 1 after going completely scoreless in the final two games. Even AYYJAYY couldn’t come up with a goal for them, missing what should have been an easy conversion in series 2. Expectations will probably fall following such an exit, but The Peeps play their best Rocket League as the underdogs. If they want to continue this pattern on the RCLS stage though, they have to build their offense and rely less heavily on AYYJAYY and Gyro. Their ability to swarm the field and adapt to the pace of the game lends itself well to their defense, but seems to fatigue them as the games go on. Even if they find a way to focus that energy, they need more experience and versatility to place much higher next season.

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Rocket League

Team BDS win RLCS X EU Winter Regional 3

Team BDS overcome Giants Gaming to win their second regional event of the RLCS X EU Winter Split.

One of the most exciting regionals to date culminated in a bracket reset win for BDS. They took home the maximum of $30,000 and did it in style.

Giants Gaming and BDS both started in winner’s round 2. Giants remained unbeaten on their way to the grand final beating the likes of Team Vitality and even BDS in the winner’s final.

Team BDS were knocked down to the loser’s final by Giants, where they faced Dignitas. They made light work of the series sweeping Dignitas 4-0.

The grand final was a rematch between Giants Gaming and Team BDS. However, Giants couldn’t beat them for a second time as BDS won back-to-back series to be crowned champions. Here is how they did it:

Giants Gaming vs Team BDS – Grand Final

Giants Gaming struck first blood in the grand final as they went 1-0 up in the first series. However, BDS were quick to bounce back as they levelled the scores at 1-1.

After two more games, the series drew level once again at 2-2 but a hero play from Zamue in the fifth game put Giants on championship point.

The champions were not going down without a fight though as they took it to a game 7 and forced a bracket reset.

The second series was once again back and forth between the two teams who were in peak form. It was level at 2-2 but BDS showed their true desire and ran away with the series, winning 4-2.

Final Placements

1st – Team BDS ($30,000)

2nd – Giants Gaming ($15,000)

3rd – Dignitas ($10,000)

4th – Oxygen Esports ($7,000)

5/6th – WOO & Endpoint ($5,000)

7/8th – Triple Trouble & Denied ($3,000)

Leaderboards

Here is a look at the current leaderboards after the RLCS X EU Winter Regional 3. This shows both the overall season totals and the Winter Split totals:

Did you enjoy that grand final?

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