Created for Gray Television, Inc. and published to their various local stations.
The Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS) is holding the first Main Event of the Fall Split, the Fall Open, this weekend. The Regions that will be fighting for their RLCS points are North America (NA), Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and Asia-Pacific (APAC).
These Regions held Open Qualifiers this past weekend, determining what teams get to battle for an early lead in the RLCS Season’s point standings in their respective regions.
With the qualifiers only being broadcast on various pro players’ live streams as they fought for their spot in the Fall Open, it may have been easy to miss. If that applies to you, There are some important things to note about the 2022-23 RLCS Season format.
The RLCS Format and Fall Open
The RLCS Season comprises three Splits: Fall, Winter, and Spring. Each region will hold three Regional Events per Split: the Open, Cup, and Invitational.
The Open and Cup have Open Qualifiers before their Main Events. The Invitational only includes the Main Event, which consists of a region’s top sixteen teams in RLCS points. A Major, which includes teams across all regions, finishes a Split.
Each Split has a different tournament format. The Fall Split utilizes a Swiss Stage at the start of each Main Event, requiring a team to win three matches to move on to the second stage. Every match will be Best-of-5.
The second stage of the Main Event is an 8-team single elimination bracket, and every match will be a Best-of-7. The team that secures first place will walk away with 16 points, the second-place team will gain 12 points, and the two tied at third will receive 9. Points begin to decrease steadily with each subsequent placement, with each of the 16 teams who competed receiving some.
The Rocket League Championship Series recently released the official 2022-23 ruleset here.
Who Qualified for The Fall Open in North America
With Open Qualifiers finished in the North American Region, the debate of which team is ready to take home the top spot in The Fall Open has begun. The teams that conquered the Top 16 Qualifier and grabbed the first eight spots are:
- OpTic Gaming
- Spacestation Gaming
- Version1
- G2 Esports
- Complexity Gaming
- Faze Clan
- Rogue
- Dignitas
From the Top 16 Qualifier, keep an eye on OpTic Gaming, Spacestation Gaming, and Version1.
OpTic Gaming has a new roster coming into the season and is looking to shake things up and get off to a fast start. Their qualifier was a bit rocky, considering they dropped one match and won the rest by only one game. Step back and analyze what was happening in their matches, and a story of support arises. When one player struggled, the other two picked up the slack. And it wasn’t one particular player falling short. They are all capable of making game-changing plays or stepping back and playing support when the need is there. This team just needs time to develop and settle into their new organization, and what better time to do this than the Fall Open?
The teams that bore down on the Closed Qualifier and earned the last eight spots for the Main Event are:
- NRG
- Shopify Rebellion
- Pittsburgh Knights
- FURIA Esports
- Luminosity Gaming
- Sol
- Team AXLE
- Gen.G Mobil1 Racing
The Closed Qualifier was hard fought, but NRG, Shopify Rebellion, and FURIA Esports stood out.
Shopify Rebellion didn’t lose a single match in the Closed Qualifier. Two of their victories were over Pittsburgh Knights and FURIA Esports, both of which have qualified for the Main Event. That is a good track record going into the weekend and can only be a confidence booster for Shopify Rebellion.
When and How to Watch RLCS Fall Open
Three Regions will kick off their Fall Opens this weekend. The remaining regions will have to wait a week to enter their season. The Fall Open starts and ends on the following days for each Region:
- Middle East and North Africa (MENA): October 6-8
- North America (NA): October 7-9
- Asia-Pacific (APAC): October 8-9
- South America (SAM), Europe (EU), Oceania (OCE), Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA): October 14-16
Like most esports, the best way to watch is on Twitch and YouTube. The Twitch broadcast will take place on the Rocket League official channel. The Fall Open will also appear on the official Rocket League Esports Youtube channel. The broadcasts start at 1 PM EST (10 AM PST / 11 AM MST / 12 PM CST) during The Fall Open.
Written by Schuyler Millar
Created for Gray Television, Inc. and published to their various local stations.
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