Gaming
esports
Best Rocket League Plays of May 2018
Watch May's top pro highlights ahead of the RLCS World Championship.
We're just a week out from the RLCS World Championship in London, and Rocket League fans are eager to see who comes away with the season five title. Will the new Team Dignitas roster repeat as champions? Will a surging fan-favorite like G2 or NRG prevail and finally claim another NA title? Or will another team upstage the game's current giants? We'll find out soon.
It's been a few weeks since the regional championships, but May still served up a load of exciting Rocket League plays. Between the RLCS promotion/relegation tournament and other events, the top teams came out swinging and delivered blistering shots. Here are our favorite pro Rocket League plays from May 2018.
1. FlipSid3's next-level team play
2. That Wonder bump
FlyQuest lived up to the Rival Series hype, finishing first in NA before beating Out of Style and Counter Logic Gaming to secure an RLCS spot for next season. Credit this kind of savage heads-up play for some of that success: Nicholas "Wonder" Blackerby bounces the ball off the corner to drop it right in front of the goal, and then smashes an Out of Style defender to clear a path for Austin "AyyJayy" Aebi to score and tie up the game. That's one beautifully brutal play.
3. FlamE is on fire
Team Secret fell short in its attempt to return to the RLCS after being relegated last season, but we have a feeling that we'll be seeing Jack "FlamE" Pearton back at the highest level before long. Check out this shot from the promotion tournament, in which he guides the ball off the wall, against the ceiling, and eventually on his nose until it reaches its destination. Amazingly, he had another stunning shot with a very similar ending earlier in the day.
4. Save of the season?
Speaking of Team Secret — they almost clinched their RLCS return against Servette Geneva Esports, but Alex "Alex161" Ernst wouldn't let them take the overtime game seven win on what looked to be an open goal. Watch closely: FlamE serves it up from the side for Stephen "Tylacto" Griffin to dunk in, but instead Alex161 blasts in from afar and narrowly deflects the ball off of the goalpost. And Servette won just seconds later. Alex161's save happens so quickly, but it changed so much for the RLCS next season.
5. Kronovi's amazing air roll
Now this is a pretty shot. G2 showcased their talents against Allegiance in Rival Esports' Spring Open, and after some late-game back and forth here, captain Cameron "Kronovi" Bills shows off some fabulous control: he pops off of the back wall, twirls in the air with a well-timed air roll, and somehow manages to put the perfect touch on the ball to send it toward the goal. Rizzo's last tap wasn't needed, but kudos to him for the pass that made it all possible.
6. ViolentPanda gets gentle
Team Dignitas just signed the former Gale Force Esports squad ahead of Worlds, but no matter what you call them, the reigning RLCS champs remain a force to be reckoned with. Watch captain Jos "ViolentPanda" van Meurs's control here as he meets a lofted Pierre "Turbopolsa" Silfver blast above the goal, then just gently taps the ball to send it into the net. Not only is it a dazzling shot, but it's also a series-winner against Paris Saint-Germain following nearly five minutes of overtime. Nice one!
7. FlipSid3's at it again
Remember that earlier FlipSid3 Tactics team pass that blew our minds? Well, this one's almost as good, and it comes with a stunning finish. After kuxir97 pops the ball up to the ceiling, Yukeo flies in to send it downfield, where Miztik miraculously dives down to bounce the ball into the net. That's some next-level control to roll off of the ceiling and angle the shot perfectly into the goal. Miztik is usually an Octane main, but it seems like the Batmobile suits him well.
8. FlamE's fantastic flip reset
Like all of FlipSid3, FlamE also gets a double mention this month thanks to this nutty play from the Ballistix Brawl. With the ball in the air headed toward the net and Vitality defender Philip "Paschy90" Paschmeyer in his way, FlamE positions himself beneath the ball and lands all four tires on it to force a flip reset, thus giving him another flip in the air. He immediately uses that bonus flip to fling the ball around Paschy and into the goal. We'd say he's RLCS-ready now.
9. Timing is everything
Here's the Rizzo-Kronovi tandem showing off again in the same Rival Esports tournament, this time against Lights Out. With the last seconds ticking off the clock in a tie game, Rizzo taps it up to the backboard where Kronovi weaves through dualing defenders, somehow giving the ball a gentle bump back for a waiting Rizzo to drop in. Rizzo's ability to hover in place for that half-second and await the coming ball is really something. G2 ultimately took this grand finals to win the tournament.
10. Lethamyr's serious air
Ghost Gaming's Treyven "Lethamyr" Robitaille said earlier this year that aerial passing will become a bigger part of the pro meta, and we see it in action here in a pick-up tandem with G2's Rizzo. After popping the ball up off the wall and tapping it in midair, Rizzo redirects it against the backboard for Lethamyr to finish before he completes his flight. It's smooth sailing with a satisfying finish.
For more Rocket League features, follow @redbullesports on Twitter and Like us on Facebook.
