There are a lot of new faces around Rocket League Esports and Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS) X. Thanks to the free to play launch, the world of competitive Rocket League is being discovered and watched by more people than ever before! If you're new around here, it can be hard to get a grip on everything that's going on and how it all fits together.

If that sounds like you, you're in the right place. This Beginner's Guide will help get you up to speed, so you can get the most out of the highest tier of competition that Rocket League has to offer. Let's jump right into it!

What Is the RLCS and RLCS X?

The Rocket League Championship Series—or RLCS for short—is the highest level of competitive Rocket League. The top teams across four different regions around the world (Europe, North America, Oceania, and South America) compete in the RLCS. 

The RLCS has had many different formats over the years since its introduction in 2016, and RLCS X is its newest evolution. A roughly 10-month long circuit system was introduced for RLCS X and it marks the first time that the Rocket League World Championship (Rocket League's most prestigious and coveted competitive tournament) will happen once per year. As you can imagine, a lot has changed, so let's talk a bit about how RLCS X works:

  • RLCS X is divided up into three Splits (Fall, Winter, and Spring). Think of a Split as a length of time that encompasses tournaments for that Split within it.

  • Each Split has three Regional Events (Regionals for short) per RLCS region. These are tournaments that top teams can qualify for.

  • The end of each Split has a Major or Regional Majors if held online.

  • All of the events within a Split are played for points and prizing.

  • Points are earned by playing in Regional Events and Majors.

  • Points reset between Splits for Major qualification, but points accumulated over all three Splits will count towards World Championship qualification.

What's the Winter Split? How Does It Work?

As described above, the Winter Split is the second of three RLCS X Splits. It differs a bit from the Fall Split overall.

The biggest difference is the format. Each Split in RLCS X has a unique format that defines that Split. In the Fall Split, it was a 32-team Swiss format that led into a single-elimination bracket. For the Winter Split, 24 qualified teams from North America and Europe, respectively, will compete in a double-elimination bracket. This means that each team has effectively two lives to run through the bracket and claim victory. Lose twice and you're out until next time.

Each event in the Winter Split will follow the 24-team, double-elimination bracket format. That means all three Regionals and the Major/Regional Majors will use the format above. This change not only offers top-level teams a new challenge to conquer, but it helps keep the competition fresh over the course of the season.

What Is The Grid and How Does It Work?

RLCS: The Grid is a high-level league that sits just below the RLCS. The big twist is that instead of a standard broadcast, participating teams are encouraged to stream their runs through The Grid every time they play. This creates a new style of broadcast and allows teams to bring their own flair and connect directly with their fanbases. 

The Grid features a point system much like the RLCS, although the points reset each Split completely. The top points earner in The Grid in North America and Europe each earn a spot at either the Major or Regional Major. Think of it as a wildcard spot that's open to proven elite teams!

For the Winter Split of The Grid we are introducing The Grid: Overtime, a new hub stream devoted to highlighting the best matches and moments throughout each day of competition. This new viewing option will make catching the biggest plays throughout The Grid easier than ever. There will be more details on how to watch coming up later in the article.

In addition to The Grid: Overtime, the format of The Grid itself has been overhauled. Check out our announcement article for more specifics on how the new format will operate.

When and How Do I Watch?

All this cool, new information is useless if you don't know when or how to tune in. For RLCS broadcasts, use the schedule below and mark your calendars:

Europe

  • Regional #1: November 12, 13, 14, 15

  • Regional #2: December 3, 4, 5, 6

  • Regional #3: January 9, 10, 16, 17

North America

  • Regional #1: November 21, 22, 28, 29

  • Regional #2: December 10, 11, 12, 13

  • Regional #3: January 23, 24, 30, 31

You can catch all the action on the official Rocket League Twitch and YouTube channels. European broadcasts will begin at 8 a.m. PST (4 p.m. UTC), while North American broadcasts will begin at 10 a.m. PST (6 p.m. UTC).

The Grid will be scheduled as follows:

Europe

  • The Grid #1: November 26, 27

  • The Grid #2: December 8, 9

  • The Grid #3: January 2, 3

  • The Grid #4: January 21, 22

North America

  • The Grid #1: November 12, 13

  • The Grid #2: December 1, 2

  • The Grid #3: January 7, 8

  • The Grid #4: January 14, 15

The Grid: Overtime and team broadcasts for Europe will begin at 8 a.m. PST (3 p.m. UTC) on Day 1 and 9 a.m. PST (4 p.m. UTC) on Day 2 of each tournament. For North America, broadcasts will begin at 2 p.m. PST (9 p.m. UTC) on Day 1 and 3 p.m. PST (10 p.m. UTC) on Day 2 of each tournament.

More to Come

You should be just about ready to dive into the RLCS X Winter Split! You can expect articles, content, and more as the season progresses. Make sure to follow @RLEsports to keep up with everything happening in the Rocket League Esports scene. We'll see you soon!