When Rocket League first launched, esports fans were pretty enthusiastic, with some calling it the next big thing. But that interest quickly petered off. Now, thanks to a partnership with Twitch, it’s taking a big step in the right direction.
Twitch and Rocket League developer Psyonix have teamed up to create the Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS), an official league for the game.
The three-month long competition will have a total prize pool of $75,000, and is open to any team of three players through open qualifiers.
Twitch will handle broadcasts and manage league operations.
Some esports franchises have signed top performing Rocket League sides, including SK Gaming, Noble Esports, and Flipsid3 Tactics, but these teams are generally competing for a few hundred dollars at a time in online cups.
Rocket League enjoyed an explosion on Twitch when it first launched last July, finishing the month as the fifth most popular game ahead of Minecraft, World of Warcraft, and H1Z1. However in August it dropped to 17th, and has not made the top 20 since.
Both Twitch and Psyonix will be hoping that their large investment will kick-start interest in the game as an esport once again.
Image via Psyonix | Remix by Callum Leslie
Published: Mar 2, 2016 08:00 am