There's only one week until we close out 2019 with the Season 8 Rocket League World Championship at Palacio Vistalegre in Madrid, Spain! After a wild five weeks of League Play and super-competitive Regional Championships, 12 teams from Europe, North America, Oceania, and South America have all earned their place at the World Championship.
If you're looking for info about what makes this World Championship different than the rest, we've got all of the details you need to get caught up to speed. Let's start with the new and improved format.
Reformatting the World Championship
Last season we introduced a new format featuring a two-day Group Stage that led into a high-stakes, single-elimination bracket on Day 3. While we liked the Group Stage portion, we realized that there were a few matches that felt less impactful, especially when a team was out of contention and still had to play through their matches. So, this time around, we've retooled how we approach the Group Stage.
Instead of four groups of three teams, there will now be two groups of six teams. Each group will feature a double-elimination bracket that is seeded based on teams' Regional Championship results. The Group Stage will still span the first two days of the World Championship, with the third day being a six-team, single-elimination bracket that will determine the World Champion!
We believe that this new format will help keep every match from the Group Stage competitive and meaningful, while still allowing for an intense, single-elimination bracket on Day 3.
New Faces
As new talent develops, it's inevitable that we'll see new players rise to the top and make their debut at the World Championship. But, this season represents the largest number of World Championship newcomers ever. A whopping 17 players will hit the World Championship stage for the first time at Palacio Vistalegre! This beats the previous record of 16 from Seasons 3 and 7.
This list includes some of the best up-and-coming players across the world including North American MVP Caden "Sypical" Pellegrin, mechanically-gifted striker Maello "Aztral" Ernst, clinical striker Daniel "Walcott" Hawkeswood, and South American superstar Matheus "math" Gonçalves. Fans across the globe will be treated to a new wave of players that are ready to make a splash and leave their mark on the World Championship. Will one of them lead their team to the title of World Champion? We'll just have to find out!
A Big Time Broadcast
We believe that Rocket League Esports is a truly global sport. With that in mind, in addition to the English broadcast, there will be three additional broadcasts that will bring the action to you in French, German, and Spanish! We're excited to bring Rocket League to an increasing number of fans worldwide.
If you’d like to tune in to any of the alternate language broadcasts, you can find them here on December 13-15 beginning at 6 a.m. PT (2 p.m. UTC):
As for on-site talent, we've got a great lineup that'll make this World Championship the most exciting one yet! You can find a list of talent below:
English Broadcast:
Desk host: Brody "Liefx" Moore
Sideline Reporter: John "JohnnyBoi" MacDonald
Analysts: Randy "Gibbs" Gibbons, Adam "Lawler" Thornton
Commentators: Michael "Achieves" Williams, Jack "Corelli" Collier, James "Jamesbot" Villar, Joey "Jorby" Ahrens, Callum "Shogun" Keir, Isaac "Turtle" App, Caleb "WavePunk" Simmons
Spanish Broadcast:
Stage Host: Ibai Llanos
Desk Host: Rodrigo "Rosdri" Marín
Analyst: Adrian "ByMateos" Mateos Arana
Commentators: Felipe "Alternix" Bedoya, Abner "Chamako" Custodio Gonzalez, Miguel "Dex" Montoya, Marco "Isengard" Blanco Montouto, Jose Luis "Zakx" Riquelme
More On the Way
We'll have more World Championship content coming your way in the days ahead. Speaking of content, make sure to also check out the new RLCS intro above! There are still tickets available, so CLICK HERE and grab your seats. If you can't make it to Madrid, be sure to clear your calendar and get ready to tune in for the World Championship on December 13-15 beginning at 6 a.m. PT (2 p.m. UTC). For all things Rocket League Esports keep it locked here and check back soon for more World Championship content.
