Gaming
Gaming
What to expect at the Rocket League finals
Psyonix's eSports operation manager Josh Watson talks us through the upcoming event and future plans
Expect to see lots of high flying in Amsterdam
© Psyonix
With eSports quickly growing into one of the most popular entertainment sectors for young people, it’s no surprise that almost every major game company in the world's trying to enter the scene in one way or another. Overwatch, for example, was clearly designed to be an eSport, and with Blizzard’s knowledge and funds it’s no surprise to see the game taking root in the community. Five years ago you could never be sure what the next major eSport would be, but now you can sometimes seem them coming from a mile off.
Unless, of course, they have rockets strapped to them. Every rule has its exceptions, and arguably the biggest surprise in the world of eSports over the last few years has been Rocket League. In fact, going even further than that, it’s fair to say Rocket League has been one of the biggest surprises in the entire video games industry over the last few years.
It may have been a massive surprise 12 months ago, but incredible success and player numbers resulted in Rocket League becoming one of the world’s biggest eSports, often challenging the big titles in terms of viewer numbers. After a fierce year of competition in the Rocket League Championship Series, all eyes are turning to Amsterdam for the RLCS Season 2 finals next month, featuring four EU teams and four NA teams battling it out for a share of the $125,000 prize pool.
In order to find out just what we can expect to see in Amsterdam – beyond turbo-boosted cars bashing giant footballs into large goals – as well as what the future holds for Rocket League’s eSports scene, we spoke to the man in charge of it all, Josh Watson, eSports and events manager for Rocket League at Psyonix.
Josh Watson, Psyonix's eSports & events manager
© Psyonix
Did Psyonix always plan to break into eSports with Rocket League, or did you make that decision after a streaming community began to come together?
Watson: We knew Rocket League was uniquely suited for high-level competitive play, but we wanted to be sure that it was something our players genuinely wanted. We feel that one of the fatal mistakes a developer can make is to try and to force eSports on their player base. Once we confirmed our community's appetite for it, we started moving forward with our current plan to make Rocket League a global sport.
Why did you choose Amsterdam for the location of the finals? What does it offer that other locations don’t?
Amsterdam's an incredible place; it’s a city with huge potential for eSports that's gone mostly untapped by the eSports community. It checks all of the boxes you look for when hosting an international sporting event. Being one of Europe's top city destinations there are several airports in close proximity, plenty of accommodation for out-of-town guests and tons of culture for fans to experience. It’s also uniquely located between the UK, France and Germany, which are big regions for the RLCS and Rocket League in general. We think it's going to be a real treat to bring our players and fans from all over the world to experience Amsterdam during the holidays.
What can fans expect from the finals weekend, aside from seeing loads of impossible air dribbling?
Aside from the incredible competition and insane feats of skill, fans can expect a true celebration of the Rocket League community. That's one of the most appealing things about Rocket League; every event we put on is like a huge family reunion. Every event gets larger and the family keeps growing; it’s the camaraderie and the friendship that make memorable experiences, and there's no better community in the world at doing just that.
Which region has the edge do you think, NA or EU?
If you'd asked me this question last season I probably would've told you Europe has the edge. This season, however, we've seen the skill gap between the teams close. That's one of the things that make Rocket League as an eSport so interesting.
Who do you think are the players and teams to watch in particular?
Orbit's playing phenomenal Rocket League right now. Turtle, GarrettG and Moses are the textbook example of what a team are capable of when they trust in each other and come to play every week. They've won four of their seven League Play matches in game five; it's their perseverance and ability to close a series that makes them dangerous. Who's the best player in the world right now, in your opinion?
That question's up for debate. If you're talking about the single best player in the world right now, you would need to include names like Fireburner, Markydooda, Deevo and Remkoe in that conversation. Scrubkilla is unreal and he's not yet old enough to compete in the RLCS. He's definitely in the mix.
How high do you think the ceiling is for skill in RL?
I'm constantly surprised with how much more talented these players become every season. Last year during the MLG Rocket League Finals, I remember thinking that the players couldn't get any better than that. Jump forward 14 months and the difference in skill then and now is night and day. As long as these players continue to push each other to new levels, I think we'll all continue to be surprised for a long time to come.
What should we expect from the next season?
We're aiming to continue to improve the experience for players and fans alike. We're proud of what we've been able to accomplish with the RLCS, and we'll continue looking for ways to make it better. We've also seen a lot of interest from players in other regions, so we'll continue to explore the possibility of bringing new talent into the mix if possible.
You mentioned other regions wanting to get involved, so do you think there’s plenty of room for the pro scene to grow?
Absolutely! Rocket League has a lot of potential when you examine the current eSports landscape. Some of its strengths lie in that it's one of the most intuitive spectator sports due to its parallels to traditional sports, while being one of the few action eSports that's suitable for all ages; couple that with a player base of 22 million players worldwide, and the room for growth's immense.
Where do you see pro Rocket League going in the future? Is this just the beginning?
This is definitely just the beginning. For all of us here at Psyonix, competitive Rocket League is a major focus of ours moving forward. We have a lot in the works for the future, so keep an eye out for a lot more in 2017.
The RLCS Season 2 Grand Finals kick off in Amsterdam on December 3. For tickets and more details see the official Rocket League eSports website or head to Twitch to watch it live. For more eSports coverage, follow @RedBulleSports on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
