Why Rocket League Is Becoming a Favorite Among Esports Tournaments

Sometimes, a game needs a weird premise in order to work. You will not find a stranger than having a game which revolves around cars that play soccer.

A peculiar idea, but one that works just fine. Even more than that! During the last couple of years the Rocket League has climbed its way to the top of the mountain of eSports. Its tournaments are well received, and the game has more players and viewers by the day. 

If you’ve taken a peek at what RL brings to the table you know why it found itself on the rise. It’s fun, quick, and easy to understand.

Of course there are plenty more reasons why it came to its position, and we’re going to cover both the surface ones, and the deep ones. If you’ve been wondering why you are seeing Rocket league all over the place here are the main reasons. 

It’s Easy to Watch

As we said, the premise of Rocket League is an interesting one, but on the ground, the game is simple. You have two teams and one ball. The goal is to score more goals than your opponent.  There’s not too much to it but that. The rules are straightforward, as there are almost none.

There’s no stats to follow besides goals, and to play you do not require any detailed setup. If you’re even remotely into soccer, you will understand Rocket League just fine. Everything we said makes the game nice for both the players and the viewers. Just like soccer, you do not have to know how to play, to understand what transpires on the field.

There’s plenty of action happening at every second of the game, and the excitement is there to be had for both the players and the audience. Not many eSports provide this from the get go. For many games both the player and the member of the audience need to have a learning curve before they get it, and start liking the named eSport.

With Rocket League it takes people a few minutes to get on the hype train, and that’s what’s made it one of the more popular eSports at Stake, where users quickly get the hang on win/lose and over/under dynamics of the sport. 

Matches Are Short and Intense

This is where things get spicy. Rocket League matches are only 5 minutes long. When you look at other eSports the matches are quite longer. The only way a match lasts more than 5 minutes is if it goes to overtime. The overtime is also limited as it uses the sudden death principle, and the duel is over the moment a team scores a goal.

When you watch this game through the lenses of a tournament you get the idea why it quickly became mainstream. It is ideal for tournaments, as the organizers can fit plenty of matches into one day, have more teams participate, and viewers enjoy a massive spectacle.

Short matches also mean that all the action is fitted inside of a 5 minute action packed duel. The game slows at no point as every second you have something going on, whether it’s a goal, a save, or a mid air hit.

Those who watch Rocket League do it on their feet or at the edge of their seats if they can sit tight during all of the action that transpires. What we said in this paragraph is also an explanation why many streamers on YouTube, Twitch, and Kick have Rocket League as their theme during streams. 

No Randomness

Yes, RL is a game, but not one that relies on luck of the players. The game is a sport as much as one gets. There are no critical hits, no weapons, or power ups. The only weapon Rocket League players have is their skill. The same applies if you plan to boost your bets with Rocket League action.

Everything is in the hands of the players. If they score, good for them, if misses pile on, it was just not their day. The game is fair and competitive. The game is not at fault if one loses. In Rocket League it all comes down to the player’s skill. If one loses often, he must train and improve, just like in real soccer.

Because of this many top gamers are attracted to Rocket League; they know that mechanics will do their part and that the rest is up to them.  Also, this way, the fans get to enjoy the best of the best, so it is no wonder that Rocket League tournaments rise so high in the eSports pyramid. 

It’s Free to Play

This was not always the case. Yet, the company behind Rocket League, Epic Games (the game was developed by Psyonix) made a bold move in 2020 and made the game free to play. When you had to pay to play, there were less people interested in trying it out.

Yet, when it was announced that the game will be free from 2020 millions of new users appeared. This is one of the main reasons why the game grew so fast. For many people it was like the game was released in 2020 and not that it was around since 2015.

In 2020 not only that we got millions of new users, but many of them, and especially those who were with the game from earlier, became pro, the game became an eSport, and fans started to flock to watch the competitions soon enough.

The Rocket League player base is massive, it keeps on growing, and that’s what made the game a success, and helped it grow to what it is today and to develop further.  

Cross Platform Support

Not all gamers play on the same platform. This is why cross platform support is important for a game’s growth. When you have a game that works equally well on PlayStation, Xbox, or PC you get a broader user base. Many people who are not too much into eSports don’t understand the importance of cross platform support.

You will find way too many eSports limited by not having it. To play Rocket League you can use any platform you like, have a connection to the Internet, and you’re set to go. This is equally important for individual players and for the tournaments alike.

For players there’s no necessity for any unique hardware. For people behind the scenes the logistics are not a nightmare and they have more flexibility. Thanks to the cross platform support, the community of the Rocket League is united, unlike some others. There’s not the usual PC vs. Consoles divide. 

Strong Developer Support

The Rocket League was developed in 2015 by a company called Psyonix. While in the meantime the game was bought by Epic Games, Psyonix remained involved with both the Rocket League and the eSports scene in general. They’re the ones behind the Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS).

Furthermore, they’re in charge of being third party tournaments hosted at many events. Psyonix is the main instigator of the development of local and regional Rocket League scenes. This type of support from the people who have developed the game and had the initial idea for the project matters.

Many games have been phased out of the eSports community due to their developers not being there for them anymore. This is not the case with Rocket League. Its developers still care as much as ever and that’s best seen through all the work they still put into this game. 

Psyonix is the one in charge of receiving and reacting to users feedback, they will fix any bugs that the game might develop, and what’s most important they’re financially backing the Rocket League eSports tournaments. They’ve been doing everything in their power to keep the RL scene healthy and growing.

When you have a game that’s deep into becoming an eSport, the developers’ support needs to be visible, and here it is. It provides stability, and for players it is a sign of encouragement to give their best too. 

A Wide Skill Gap

By now, you know that Rocket League is a simple game where you play soccer with cars. It is easy to learn, and fun to be played among friends. Yet, its competitive aspect requires mastery. It is not an easy game to master, and by a wide margin it might be complicated when you look at how the pros are playing.

As far as eSports go, this is good news. For beginners it is a nice title they can enjoy. Yet, at the highest level, you need insane skills to be a winner. The game has plenty of in game features, moves, and showcasing of individual skills. There are air dribbles, flip resets, air passing, and many more.

None is easy to do on a whim. Yet, for a master of the game, they come easy, and the audience loves to see these moves, and try to replicate them at home, just like in the real game of soccer. One of the main skills in the game, and one hard to master is balance.

Those who can work around it are the best players and competitors of the highest level. As far as making a career of being a Rocket League player is possible as it takes time to learn the game, one do not have to rush, as you can be a late bloomer in the RL and still be one of the top players. 

Global Appeal

Just like many eSports, the Rocket League is a global eSport. It is not tied to any region or a state.  Many people believe that it is only popular in the United States and Asia. Yet, its appeal goes far beyond these two regions. RL players are from all over the world.

Europe, South America, Africa, and Australia. There are also a few notable players on the highest level from the Middle East. The fact that the game is well accepted in all parts of the world certainly aided its ability to become one of the most popular games for eSports tournaments.

While it still is not on the level that League of Legends World Championship has, it aims to get there in terms of player recognition, the number of people in the audience, and the count of people who are willing to wager on eSports through Rocket League.

The global user base and audience are also good for the revenue through sponsors, as more viewers means more funds for the organizers, and eventually for the players and prize polls. 

Great for Live Events

When an eSports goes big you want people at live events, and not just by their streaming devices tuning in to watch remotely. This is a condition that the Rocket League fulfilled with ease. The game is almost ideal for live crowds. For one, the game is fast paced so you need to pay attention, but not for too long, as the matches are only 5 minutes long.

Secondly the game has good sound effects. Just like in real soccer there is much focus on sounds when the ball hits the post. Do we even need to mention the sounds of engines revving? Also, the roar behind a goal scored? Soccer is the most popular sport in the world, and with more than a few similarities between it and the Rocket League, you get why the RL got so praised by players and fans of eSports in such a short time.

Also, as we said, the PC or console setups do not require the equipment of the highest grade, making it easier for organizers to create an event. An event that looks amazing on the big screens, and the fans want their fun in HD on the biggest screen possible. You could argue that this game was built for the spotlight and you wouldn’t be wrong. 

We believe that this is enough reasons that explain how Rocket League got to the position where it finds itself in the world of eSports tournaments.