14 DAY TRIAL // Video game developer Psyonix and streaming service Twitch are announcing that they are planning to launch a major eSports competition based on the very successful Rocket League, called the Rocket League Championship Series, which is designed to showcase the best players and give fans some impressive matches to watch.
The action will start later in March, and those interested need to form teams of three and then register, with the qualifying process set to begin before the end of the month on both the PlayStation 4 from Sony and the PC.
The full structure of the Rocket League Championship Series has not yet been revealed, but the two involved companies are saying that the opening season will have a prize pool of 75,000 dollars (67,000 Euro), which is a solid number for a new title but does not reach the figures that MOBA tournaments often generate.
Jeremy Dunham, a vice president at Psyonix, states, "Twitch and its streamers have been an instrumental part of our success since we launched last July, and that made them a perfect match for us. We couldn't be more thrilled to be working with a team that we respect as highly as we do Twitch, and we can't wait to show the world what we can do in esports together!"
Nick Allen, the director of eSports operations at Twitch, says that Rocket League Championship Series offers a great way for good players to try and become professionals and show their best strategies in front of a large public.
Rocket League is one of the biggest surprises of 2015
The combination of football and race cars managed to excite gamers and critics alike with the combination of solid mechanics and impressively acrobatic matches, and at the moment, it is offered on the PC, the PlayStation 4, and the Xbox One.
The game made a solid first impression when it arrived via the PlayStation Plus service from Sony, and the development team says that it has since managed to sell more than 4 million units and that its tracking shows that around 12 million unique players have tried out the experience.
A retail release for Rocket League, which will probably include all the downloadable content launched, like the Batman vs. Superman vehicles, will be offered later in the year, and Psyonix says that it wants to keep the game interesting for as long as possible.
Presumably, more DLC and new modes will arrive for the remainder of 2016, and updates will be delivered between the seasons in order to make sure that the action is as balanced as possible.
The title has managed to pick up more than 100 awards since launch, and a solid eSports presence guarantees that fans continue to play and that newcomers are exposed to its unique take on the sport.
Twitch has emerged as the main streaming service for gaming, and the company is trying to make sure that it caters to as wide an audience as possible.
The partnership with Psyonix for Rocket League Championship Series gives it a chance to keep fans of the game watching the competitive action.
