Every esport has its own premier franchise of tournaments which provide the best competition out there. In the case of competitive Rocket League, the Rocket League Championship Series, or RLCS, is the most popular competitive esports event around for the title developed by Psyonix. Considering the immense growth of the RLCS since its inception back in 2016, RLCS betting has grown similarly, filled to the brim with betting opportunities. With more epic events than ever, packing awesome prize pools, read on for our very own featured exclusive betting guide.
Top-Rated RLCS Betting Sites
How to Bet on the RLCS in 2023
Considering how easy Rocket League gameplay is to understand, betting on the RLCS is just as easy. As a means of taking your love of the competition further, Rocket League betting involves betting on the most competitive Rocket League events out there. Regardless of the specific type of bet, the concept is clear – the longer the odds, the higher the risk! This simple approach may be extended to the types of RLCS betting markets available:
- Match Winner – a match consists of multiple rounds or games, here you’re betting on who’ll be the overall match winner.
- Game Winner – in a BO7 or BO9, betters have the opportunity to bet on specific games – especially during live betting.
- Handicap – placing bets on matches which may heavily favor the team, with the odds balanced out with handicap settings.
- Total Points or Games (Over and Under) – beyond simply deciding a winner, one may bet on the total score or number of games that a team will score or win. Specifically, betters bet on a number provided by bookmakers and whether scores or maps will be higher or lower.
- Odd/Even Games – beyond map winner, over and under maps, betters have the chance to also bet on whether the overall map or score count will be an even or odd number.
- Correct Score and Correct Game Score – a special bet which is immensely particular – can you guess the exact score of the series or of specific games?
- Outright event winners – a fan-favourite ahead of Major RLCS events, where betters guess the overall winner of the event.
As mentioned, certain RLCS Betting Markets offer the option of esports live betting, allowing bettors to change up their bets according to the match progress.
Credit: Psyonix
RLCS Betting Strategies: Tips and Tricks
There are a number of tips to consider before RLCS Betting.
- First and foremost, playing Rocket League and watching the Rocket League Championship Series will help you develop an understanding of the title, which will lend to better bets.
- Keeping track of live changes to the game and the meta is essential and best done first-hand.
- In addition, when it comes to the esport, it’s important to research teams and player statistics, staying up to date on roster changes and anything related to the RLCS.
- Apart from keeping up to date with social media, reliable esports news websites are very helpful in this regard.
RLCS Top Teams to Watch
We’ve analysed some of the best Rocket League teams in the world right now, using both the RLCS Global Standings and placements from the 2021-22 World Championship:
- Team BDS: Dominance, pure dominance – that sums up Team BDS’ record in the 2021-22 season. Taking multiple events, they also won the RLCS 2021-22 World Championship in epic style, and have repeatedly led the European scene. However, it isn’t always perfect for Team BDS as they suffer from a lack of consistency despite their high potential. For example, in their World Championship win, the event prior, they had placed 13-16th at the RLCS 2021-22 Spring Split Major!
- Karmine Corp: Likely the most modern organization name on this list, Karmine Corp burst into the scene in 2021. Although failing to find success immediately, they quickly climbed the ranks of Europe, offering a very impressive season last year. Specifically, their 5-8th finish at the World Championship has only been followed by further success. Moreover, since 2023 started, Karmine Corp have dominated both Fall and Winter regional competition, placing 5-8th at the Split Major. A weakness here would be a history of failing to show up at international competitions – will 2023 be different?
- G2 Esports: Intertwined with the history of Rocket League, G2 Esports has been a staple of the RLCS since 2016. Revered as the face of the North American Rocket League, last season they placed 2nd at the RLCS World Championship at the hands of Team BDS. Overall, the clear strength of this team is the ability to stay consistent after so many years, although one thing to consider is the number of roster changes this team has gone through over the years.
- FURIA Esports: Taking a break from Europe and North American teams, FURIA deserves your attention as the best South American team in the RLCS. After winning the Gamers8 2022 event last year, they went on to shock the entire community with a 3-4th finish at the RLCS 2021-22 World Championship – the highest ever for South America. Heading into this season, they have an axe to grind as they prove that South America is a serious region. Yet, it’s worth noting, that for the most part, this team struggles to break into the top 4 at international events.
- FaZe Clan: Entering Rocket League through the acquisition of ‘The Peeps’, FaZe Clan stumbled across a winning roster. Since forming, the organization celebrated a 3-4th finish at the RLCS World Championship and a consistent Top 4 presence in the North American scene. With such a young team, we’re curious to see how they perform in the coming year considering their habit of failing to reach the Grand Final of regional and international events, hovering at the 3-4th place.
RLCS Common Betting Mistakes
Besides the tips we’ve mentioned, there are certain mistakes we recommend avoiding.
- When it comes to the RLCS in particular, mistakes include not staying up to date with roster news, event details and any information related to the calendar of events.
- Beyond the simple mistakes, more complex mistakes include misjudging teams on an international playing field. For example, just because a team is dominating the Oceania region with flawless performances hardly means that they’ll succeed at Majors as Europe and North America are clearly superior regions with higher levels of competition.
- Such variables are also not accounted for if you’re using the wrong esports betting sites – feel free to check out our recommendations for the best sites for your RLCS betting with the best Rocket League odds!
- In conclusion, one of the worst mistakes you can make is not taking advantage of the RLCS betting promotions which are available as discussed below.
Credit: Psyonix
RLCS’s 2023 Season Format: Tried and Tested
Rocket League is a simple yet much-loved title where teams of up to four players compete in rocket-power cars to deliver the ball into the opponent’s net in order to score. It’s this basic notion which has sparked the birth of these Rocket League tournaments and consequently RLCS betting.
Simplicity is a concept with Rocket League embraces like no other esport – this extends to the format of the Rocket League Championship Series. Moreover, heading into 2023, Psyonix had decided to maintain the format which was tried and tested in the previous season.
With a sumptuous prize of $6,000,000 spread across the entire calendar, there are a number of events to keep track of, taking place across a number of regions. To begin with, the following are all the regions in which the Rocket League Championship Series is hosted:
- Europe
- North America
- Oceania
- South America
- Middle East and North Africa
- Asia-Pacific
- Sub-Saharan Africa
Overall, the aim of the RLCS is to allow teams from all over the world a chance to compete at the Rocket League World Championship 2022-23. To do so, within their own regions and at international events, teams will earn RLCS Points.
When considering Rocket League betting, it’s essential to stay up to date with RL events. All the events of the season have been sorted into three splits – Fall, Winter and Spring. Each Split will feature three regional events, concluding with an international Major – all of which are opportunities for RLCS Betting. Bearing this in mind, here’s the entire schedule for the esports tournaments of the RLCS 2023 season:
| Fall Split | Fall Open Regionals – October 2022 Fall Cup Regionals – November 2022 Fall Invitational Regionals – November 2022 Fall Major – December 2022 |
| Winter Split | Winter Open Regionals – January 2023 Winter Cup Regionals – February 2023 Winter Invitational Regionals – March 2023 Winter Major – April 2023 |
| Spring Split | Spring Open Regionals – May 2023 Spring Cup Regionals – May 2023 Spring Invitational Regionals – June 2023 Spring Major – July 2023 |
| Rocket League World Championship | August 2023 |
RLCS Past Winners: A Spectrum of Champions
| Season | Prize | World Champions |
|---|---|---|
| RLCS Season 1 | $55,000 | iBUYPOWER |
| RLCS Season 2 | $125,000 | FlipSid3 Tactics |
| RLCS Season 3 | $150,000 | Northern Gaming |
| RLCS Season 4 | $150,000 | Gale Force eSports |
| RLCS Season 5 | $250,000 | Team Dignitas |
| RLCS Season 6 | $500,000 | Cloud9 |
| RLCS Season 7 | $529,500 | Renault Vitality |
| RLCS Season 8 | $529,500 | NRG Esports |
| RLCS Season 9 | N/A | Cancelled |
| RLCS Season X | $1,000,000 | Cancelled |
| RLCS Season 2021-22 | $2,000,000 | Team BDS |
Season 1
Starting back in Season 1, the RLCS was an eye-catching innovation and a gamble from Psyonix on a young community. Luckily, the community responded beyond expectations, with multiple events offering some fantastic competition, all concluding with iBUYPOWER being crowned World Champions with a prize pool of $55,000.
Seasons 2 and 3
From that point onwards, Season 2 and Season 3 would feature more events in the calendar year, with growing prize pools. In addition, these two consecutive years would continue to spur the intense rivalry between North America and Europe. Specifically, both Grand Finals involve such match-ups, with Europe coming out on top both times. Also, it’s worth noting that Season 3 saw the first inclusion of teams from Oceania.
Season 4
Moving on to Season 4, Psyonix introduced the Rocket League Rival Series and continued the direct qualification system for the RLCS. Maintaining the same prize pool for the World Championship as Season 3, the likes of Gale Force would go on to make history, once again claiming the World Championship for Europe. In addition, the legendary player Pierre “Turbopolsa” Silfver became the first player to win the RLCS twice, being the first to win it back-to-back!
Season 5
Season 5, apart from a revamped prize pool, is known for its jaw-dropping grand final match between Dignitas and NRG. Concluding the first-ever RLCS season where Psyonix independently hosted the season, removing direct qualification, the overtime goal from Pierre “Turbopolsa” Silfver solidified another World Championship win – his third ever. Also, another European team claimed the title – could North America bounce back?
Season 6
Well, in Season 6, with the World Championship hosted in the USA for $500,000, Cloud9 rose to the occasion. By fielding an impressive comeback, they brought back the trophy to North America for the first time since Season 1.
Season 7, Season 8
Following six successful seasons, Psyonix would continue growing the RLCS by working with other organizers in the next two seasons. Specifically, Season 7 saw a partnership with ELEAGUE featuring the RLCS being released on TBS Television. Meanwhile, Season 8 had Psyonix become acquired by Epic Games, who have become a major stakeholder in making decisions for the RLCS. Both World Championships featured prize pools of over half a million, with each event acting as a victory for Europe (Season 7) and North America (Season 8). Speaking of regions, Season 7 saw the introduction of the South American region.
Season 9 and Season X
Unfortunately, both Season 9 and Season x World Championship events did not take place due to the global situation back then. Instead, Psyonix hosted regional events to crown regional champions. However, Psyonix used this time wisely to revise the entire structure.
Season 2021-2022
Specifically, the 2021-22 Season saw the introduction of the modern RLCS format. Together with a three-Split structure, four more regions were added – Middle East & North Africa, Asia-Pacific North, Asia-Pacific South and Sub-Saharan Africa. Benefitting from the influence of Epic Games, the World Championship that year featured $2,000,000. Naturally, it all ended with a historic battle between G2 Esports (North America) and Team BDS (Europe), where Europe came out on top.
