Rocket League Championship Series
Rocket League Championship Series Tips & Streams
Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS) is the premier Rocket League esports competitive series, organised by the game developer Psyonix.
It consists of regional competitions, where teams compete for spots in major international events.
Hosted annually between February and September, the Rocket League Championship Series is widely considered one of the world’s biggest esports series and a massive hit among the online betting community.
Esports fans can find Rocket League Championship Series markets on many traditional and crypto betting sites, with plenty of markets to explore.
Likewise, live streams for RLCS events are readily accessible on all streaming platforms and all bookmakers with live streaming options.
What is the Rocket League Championship Series?
Rocket League Championship Series is an annual Rocket League esports competitive series organised by the game developer Psyonix.
Each season consists of two stages, which are played out in seven regions, including Europe, North America, Oceania, South America, the Middle East & North Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Unlike most other competitive series, the RLCS operates with open invites, allowing amateur teams to fight for spots in regional qualifiers for Major events.
Most of the RLCS season revolves around regional Major qualifiers, which begin with three open stages, where teams fight for monetary rewards and RLCS points, which are then used to determine invites for RLCS Majors.
As a season-long series, the teams are fighting for RLCS points to climb the seasonal RLCS Standings, with the top teams from each region securing invites at the season-culminating Rocket League Championship World Championship.
Rocket League Championship Series Prize Pool
Each Rocket League Championship Series season stage comes with a dedicated prize pool. However, the most significant slice is reserved for the season-ending RLCS World Championship and the two Majors.
| Season | Prize Pool |
|---|---|
| Season 1 | $55,000 |
| Season 2 | $125,000 |
| Season 3 | $150,000 |
| Season 4 | $150,000 |
| Season 5 | $250,000 |
| Season 6 | $500,000 |
| Season 7 | $529,500 |
| Season 8 | $529,500 |
| Season 9 | Cancelled (COVID-19) |
| Season X | Cancelled (COVID-19) |
| 2021/22 | $2,085,000 |
| 2022/23 | $2,100,000 |
| 2024 | $1,165,000 |
| 2025 | TBA |
RLCS History & Past Champions
Rocket League developer Psyonix announced the first RLCS season in 2016 following the rise in popularity of its vehicular football game, which was gaining serious traction on streaming platforms.
The first season of RLCS ended with the Season 1 World Championship, which offered a $55,000 prize pool, but despite being a smaller size, RLCS Season 1 proved there was interest in the competitive Rocket League scene.
This ushered Psyonix to continue hosting the competitive series, expanding the format and increasing the prize pool.
Over the years, the RLCS saw numerous format changes, with the most notable coming in 2021 with RLCS Season X.
The format did away with previous league play. It removed the Rocket League Rival Series (RLRS) (a second division league) in favour of teams competing for RLCS points throughout the season, culminating with three seasonal Majors.
In the 2021/22 season, the RLCS introduced four new regions – Middle East & North Africa, Asia-Pacific North, Asia-Pacific South, and Sub-Saharan Africa – expanding RLCS presence globally.
The new circuit consisted of three splits, each with three regional events and one LAN Major each all culminating with the World Championship.
The format saw another shift in the 2022/23 season when the Asia-Pacific North and Asia-Pacific South were combined into a single region.
The 2024 season removed the old system in favour of three open qualifying stages. This new cycle repeated three times per split, with each stage awarding the top teams with spots in that split’s Major event.
Past RLCS Champions
| Season | Team |
|---|---|
| Season 1 | iBUYPOWER Cosmic |
| Season 2 | FlipSid3 Tactics |
| Season 3 | Northern Gaming |
| Season 4 | Gale Force eSports |
| Season 5 | Dignitas |
| Season 6 | Cloud9 |
| Season 7 | Renault Vitality |
| Season 8 | NRG Esports |
| Season 9 | Cancelled (COVID-19) |
| Season X | Cancelled (COVID-19) |
| 2021/22 | Team BDS |
| 2022/23 | Team Vitality |
| 2024 | Team BDS |
| 2025 | TBD |
The Best RLCS Betting Sites
Esports fans can find RLCS betting markets on all esports betting sites. While the availability of RLCS markets will vary depending on your location and platform chosen, the top bookmakers will have an extensive selection of betting options, ensuring you can place whichever bet you desire.
One of the most popular betting sites for betting on RLCS is Stake, where esports punters can find excellent coverage of Rocket League esports markets, competitive betting odds, and a generous selection of bonuses and promotions.
That includes a welcome bonus for all who use Stake promo code NEWBONUS when signing up for an account.
Where to Watch RLCS?
RLCS is the premier Rocket League esports competitive series and one of the most-watched esports series in the world. So it is no surprise that fans can watch RLCS via all prominent streaming platforms, including Twitch and YouTube.
Alternatively, esports fans can also follow the RLCS via live streaming services on the top betting sites, where you can access official live streams along with in-play betting markets, allowing you to place bets on the games as they happen.
