Examine individual changes

'{{short description|Video game tournament series}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2018}} {{Infobox recurring event | name = Rocket League Championship Series | logo = Rocket League Championship Series.png | caption = | genre = ''[[Rocket League]]'' tournament | location = Various | years_active = 2016–present | first = Season 1 (2016) | last = Season X (2020–2021) | participants = 16 | organized = [[Psyonix]] | website = {{URL|https://esports.rocketleague.com/}} }} The '''Rocket League Championship Series''' ('''RLCS''') is an annual ''[[Rocket League]]'' [[esports]] tournament series produced by [[Psyonix]], the game's developer. It consists of three online qualification splits in several regions, with teams earning points towards qualifying for midseason tournaments and the RLCS finals, both of which are held as LAN events worldwide. ==History== Psyonix had observed the popularity of ''Rocket League'' matches on [[Twitch (service)|Twitch]] and other [[live streaming]] platforms by early 2016 and were looking to use the game more in Esports.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/rocket-league-dev-explains-new-esports-drive/1100-6434794/ |title=Rocket League Dev Explains New Esports Drive |website=[[GameSpot]] |date=February 15, 2016 |access-date=March 2, 2016 |first=Tamoor |last=Hussain |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304205222/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/rocket-league-dev-explains-new-esports-drive/1100-6434794/ |archive-date=March 4, 2016 }}</ref> In March 2016, Psyonix announced the first Rocket League Championship Series; the finals took place in June 2016 with a {{USD}}55,000 prize pool.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/rocket-league-pro-league-announced-offers-75000-in/1100-6435259/ |title=Rocket League Pro League Announced, Offers $75,000 in Prizes |website=GameSpot |first=Eddie |last=Makuch |date=March 2, 2016 |access-date=March 2, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304190235/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/rocket-league-pro-league-announced-offers-75000-in/1100-6435259/ |archive-date=March 4, 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Lemmon |first=Kyle |title=Introducing the Rocket League Championship Series |url=http://www.rocketleaguegame.com/news/introducing-the-rocket-league-championship-series/ |website=Rocket League |access-date=April 4, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161017113848/http://www.rocketleaguegame.com/news/introducing-the-rocket-league-championship-series/ |archive-date=October 17, 2016 }}</ref> The second season of the championship series took place in December 2016 with a $125,000 prize pool.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Faletti |first1=Ian |title=NRG Tactics conquer RLCS Season 2 grand finals |url=http://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/18203265/rocket-league-championship-series-season-2-grand-finals-flipsid3-tactics |website=ESPN |access-date=December 7, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161207012108/http://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/18203265/rocket-league-championship-series-season-2-grand-finals-flipsid3-tactics |archive-date=December 7, 2016 }}</ref> A third series began in March 2017, with the $300,000 prize pool finals taking place three months later. In this season, two teams from the oceanic region were also invited to compete.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://venturebeat.com/2017/02/07/rocket-league-championship-series-season-3-will-have-a-300000-prize-pool/ |title=Rocket League Championship Series season 3 will have a $300,000 prize pool |first=Mike |last=Minotti |date=February 7, 2017 |access-date=February 7, 2017 |work=[[Venture Beat]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170207225143/http://venturebeat.com/2017/02/07/rocket-league-championship-series-season-3-will-have-a-300000-prize-pool/ |archive-date=February 7, 2017 }}</ref> A second division, the Rocket League Rival Series (RLRS), was added in Season 4. The two teams finishing at the bottom of the RLCS and the two teams finishing at the top of the RLRS for each region play each other in a promotion tournament at the end of the season to determine if teams are promoted or relegated. At the advent of Season 5 in June 2018, Psyonix organised and managed the event alone. Previous to this, they partnered with Twitch. Season 6 started in September 2018 and featured a $1,000,000 prize pool.<ref>{{cite web |title=Introducing RLCS Season 6 |url=https://www.rocketleagueesports.com/news/introducing-rlcs-season-6/ |website=rocketleagueesports.com |access-date=July 25, 2018}}</ref> For Season 7, Psyonix introduced South America as a new region.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rocketleague.com/news/introducing-rlcs-season-7/ |title=Introducing RLCS Season 7 |website= [[Rocket League]] |date=January 29, 2019 |access-date= February 18, 2019 |first=Ian |last=Nowakowski }}</ref> Season 8 took place in December 2019. The Season 9 championship was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with winners of the regional championships being considered the champions.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ocal |first1=Arda |title=RLCS championship canceled due to coronavirus outbreak |url=https://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/28844418/rocket-league-championship-series-world-championship-canceled-due-coronavirus-outbreak |website=ESPN |access-date=14 July 2020}}</ref> In July 2020, Psyonix announced a new format for the tenth season of RLCS, known as RLCS X. This format did away with league play and the RLRS in favor of teams earning points through three regional splits, all culminating in three seasonal majors.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Jones |first1=Alistair |title=Rocket League Overhauls Its Entire Esports Structure |url=https://www.kotaku.co.uk/2020/07/03/rocket-league-overhauls-its-entire-esports-structure |website=Kotaku |access-date=14 July 2020}}</ref> The 2021–22 season began in October 2021, bringing in four new regions (Middle East and North Africa, Asia Pacific North, Asia Pacific South, and Sub-Saharan Africa), a more reliable circuit similar to Season X, and a $6 million prize pool.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Announcing the RLCS 2021–22 Season|url=https://esports.rocketleague.com/news/announcing-the-rlcs-202122-season/|access-date=2021-09-27|website=Rocket League Esports|language=en-us}}</ref> == Champions == {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" |- ! scope="col" | Season ! scope="col" | Dates ! scope="col" | Finals location ! scope="col" | Champions |- ! scope="row" style="text-align: center;" | 1 | April – August 2016 | [[Los Angeles]] | iBUYPOWER Cosmic<ref name=":1">{{cite web |last1=Faletti |first1=Ian |title=A chat with Season 1 champions 617 Cosmic |url=http://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/17258051/a-chat-season-1-champions-ibuypower-cosmic |website=ESPN |access-date=July 9, 2018}}</ref> |- ! scope="row" style="text-align: center;" | 2 | October – December 2016 | [[Amsterdam]] | [[Flipside Tactics]]<ref name=":2">{{cite web |last1=Faletti |first1=Ian |title=Eclipse Tactics conquer RLCS Season 2 grand finals |url=http://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/18203265/rocket-league-championship-series-season-2-grand-finals-flipsid3-tactics |website=ESPN |access-date=July 9, 2018}}</ref> |- ! scope="row" style="text-align: center;" | 3 | April – June 2017 | [[Los Angeles]] |Northern Gaming<ref name=":3">{{cite web |last1=Hayward |first1=Andrew |title=Bizarre Gaming on Their RLCS Win and What's Next |url=https://www.redbull.com/us-en/northern-gaming-win-rocket-league-interview |website=Red Bull |access-date=July 9, 2018}}</ref> |- ! scope="row" style="text-align: center;" | 4 | September – November 2017 | [[Washington, D.C.]] |Gale Force eSports<ref name=":4">{{cite web |last1=Parker |first1=Max |title=Gale Force's RLCS win marks new era in Rocket League supremacy |url=http://communityvoices.post-gazette.com/arts-entertainment-living/the-game-guy/item/41165-gale-force-s-rlcs-win-marks-new-era-in-rocket-league-supremacy |website=post-gazette.com |access-date=July 9, 2018}}</ref> |- ! scope="row" style="text-align: center;" | 5 | March – June 2018 | [[London]] | [[Dignitas (esports)|Dignitas]]<ref name=":5">{{cite web |last1=Mejia |first1=Ozzie |title=Team Dignitas Wins Rocket League Season 5 Championship After Wild Final Flurry |url=http://www.shacknews.com/article/105395/team-dignitas-wins-rocket-league-season-5-championship-after-wild-final-flurry |website=Shacknews |access-date=July 9, 2018}}</ref> |- ! scope="row" style="text-align: center;" | 6 | September – November 2018 | [[Las Vegas]] | [[Cloud9]]<ref name=":6">{{cite web |last1=Mejia |first1=Ozzie |title=Cloud9 shocks Team Dignitas to win Rocket League Season 6 Championship |url=https://www.shacknews.com/article/108463/cloud9-shocks-team-dignitas-to-win-rocket-league-season-6-championship |website=Shacknews |access-date=November 12, 2018}}</ref> |- ! scope="row" style="text-align: center;" | 7 | April – June 2019 | [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]] | [[Renault Vitality]]<ref name=":7">{{cite web |last1=Mejia |first1=Ozzie |title=Renault Vitality wins Rocket League Season 7 Championship |url=https://www.shacknews.com/article/112566/renault-vitality-wins-rocket-league-season-7-championship |website=Shacknews |access-date=24 June 2019}}</ref> |- ! scope="row" style="text-align: center;" | 8 | October – December 2019 | [[Madrid]] | [[NRG Esports]]<ref name=":8">{{cite web |last1=Mejia |first1=Ozzie |title=NRG Esports wins Rocket League Season 8 Championship |url=https://www.shacknews.com/article/115483/nrg-esports-wins-rocket-league-season-8-championship |website=Shacknews |access-date=15 December 2019}}</ref> |- ! scope="row" style="text-align: center;" | 9 | February – April 2020 | [[Dallas]] | rowspan="2" | Cancelled{{efn|Cancelled due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], with four regional champions crowned as victors instead<ref name=":0">{{cite web |title=Rocket League developer boosts prize pool after canceling event |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/esports-gaming-rocket-league/rocket-league-developer-boosts-prize-pool-after-canceling-event-idUSFLM3BNQ9s |website=Reuters |publisher=Field Level Media |access-date=26 March 2020}}</ref><ref name=":X">{{cite web|last=Nowakowski|first=Ian|date=15 April 2021|title=Introducing the RLCS X Championships|url=https://esports.rocketleague.com/news/introducing-the-rlcs-x-championships/|access-date=30 May 2021|website=[[Rocket League]]}}</ref>}} |- ! scope="row" style="text-align: center;" | X | August 2020 – June 2021 | N/A |- ! scope="row" style="text-align: center;" | 2021–22 | October 2021 – August 2022 | [[Dallas]] | TBD |} == Notes == {{notelist}} == References == {{Reflist}} == External links == * {{Officialwebsite|https://esports.rocketleague.com/}} {{Rocket League}} {{eSports}} [[Category:Rocket League competitions|Championship Series]] [[Category:Recurring sporting events established in 2016]]'