Rlcs2026
| File:RLCS logo.svg RLCS 2026 Logo | |
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Game | Rocket League |
| Dates | 14 November 2025–20 September 2026 |
| Administrator(s) | Blast ApS |
| Website | https://www.rocketleague.com/en/competitive and https://blast.tv/rl/tournaments |
| Kick-Off Weekend | |
| Location | Copenhagen, Denmark |
| Dates | 7 December |
| Venue | BLAST Studios |
| Champion | Karmine Corp |
| Boston Major | |
| Location | Boston, Massachusetts |
| Dates | 19 February–22 February |
| Venue | Agganis Arena |
| Purse | 354,000 USD |
| Champion | TBD |
| Runner-up | TBD |
| Paris Major | |
| Location | Nanterre, France |
| Dates | 20 May–24 May |
| Venue | Paris La Défense Arena |
| Purse | 354,000 USD |
| Champion | TBD |
| Runner-up | TBD |
| Rocket League World Championship | |
| Location | TBA |
| Dates | 15 September–20 September |
| Venue | TBA |
| Purse | 1,200,000 USD |
| Champion | TBD |
| Runner-up | TBD |
The 2026 Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS) season is the fifteenth season of the Rocket League Championship Series, a video game tournament series created by developer Psyonix for their vehicular sports game Rocket League. It is operated by BLAST ApS since the 2024 season.[1] The tournament is broadcast for free on the Rocket League Twitch and YouTube channels.[2]
Format
The season continues with a similar format to the 2025 season. Over each of the two "splits," teams from each of the seven regions, Europe, North America, South America, Middle East & North Africa (MENA), Oceania, Asia-Pacific, and Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), will play three online open qualifiers in order to qualify for an international "Major." Teams will earn points across the season in order to qualify for the Rocket League World Championship held at the end of the season.[1][3]
This season is the first to feature the Kick-Off Weekend, a LAN gauntlet-style tournament occurring after the first European and North American open qualifiers, which grants the winner an extra spot at Majors and the World Championship for the season.
The 2026 season marks the return of the "two thirds" rule, which was removed in the 2025 season. It demands that two out of the three starting players in a team must physically reside within their competitive region by citizenship, permanent legal residence, in-person education, or in-person work placement.[4]
Open Qualifiers
There are 6 total open qualifiers in the season, 3 per split. The first 3 serve to qualify teams to the Boston Major, and the last 3 serve to qualify teams to the Paris Major. These events are completely open to the public.
Open qualifiers have three stages. The first stage has all registered teams placed in a seeded double elimination bracket. The top 32 teams from this bracket qualify for the Swiss stage, where they are split into two 16 team Swiss-style groups. The top 8 teams from each group for a total of 16 advance to the group stage, where they are divided into two double elimination (GSL) groups. The top 4 teams from each group for a total of 8 advance to the playoffs, where they are seeded into an AFL final eight system bracket to determine the open qualifier champion.[3]
For the first open qualifiers, every team must participate from the double elimination bracket stage. Subsequent qualifiers automatically qualify the top eight teams based off cumulative RLCS Points to the group stage.
The first European and North American qualifiers of the season were held early to qualify teams for the Kick-Off Weekend.[5]
| Position | Prize money
(USD)* |
RLCS
Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21,000 | 15 |
| 2 | 12,000 | 10 |
| 3-4 | 8,100 | 7 |
| 5-6 | 4,800 | 5 |
| 7-8 | 3,600 | 3 |
| 9-12 | 2,400 | 2 |
| 13-16 | 1,800 | 1 |
*Prize money reflects only the two highest earning regions, Europe and North America.[6]
Kick-Off Weekend
The Kick-Off Weekend is a new addition to the tournament circuit which occurs in a LAN setting. It occurs after the first European and North American open qualifiers, featuring the top 4 teams from each, for a total of 8 participants. The teams are placed in a single elimination bracket, with the open qualifier champions of each region getting a bye to the semi-finals and the runners-up getting a bye to the quarter-finals. The champion of the Kick-Off Weekend automatically qualifies for the first Major of the season, and their region gets an extra spot in the second.[7]
Majors
Majors are international LAN events featuring all seven regions and 16 teams, occurring twice in the season. Teams qualify via their regions' RLCS point rankings for each split. The winning region of the Kick-Off Weekend gains an extra spot at the Majors. Europe and North America receive 5 spots (with a potential 6th depending on Kick-Off Weekend results), South America and MENA receive 2, while Oceania, Asia-Pacific and SSA receive 1 each.[3]
Teams are split into four single Round-robin groups, the top two from each qualifying to the playoffs. The playoffs are played in an AFL final eight system similar to the open qualifiers, with the group winners placed in the upper bracket and the runner-ups placed in the lower bracket.[7]
Rocket League World Championship
The Rocket League World Championship is the final and most prestigious event of the season, featuring 20 teams and crowning the champion of the RLCS season, as well as awarding the largest cash prize. Teams qualify based off the overall seasons' points rankings for their region and through a last chance qualifier. Region spots are allocated the same as the Majors for the top 16, while the last 4 spots are qualified from Last Chance Qualifiers (LCQs). The top 4 regions by average RLCS Major points (total points obtained at Majors divided by number of teams) hold an online LCQ in the same format as open qualifiers, the winner of each qualifying for the World Championship.[2][3]
The bottom 8 seeds (including the LCQ teams) first go through the play-in stage. They are split into two GSL groups, with the top 2 teams from each qualifying for the group stage.[8]
In the group stage, the remaining 16 teams are split into 4 single round-robin groups. The top three teams from each group qualify for the playoffs.
The playoffs consist of a 12 team mixed double and single elimination bracket. The winner of each group is placed in the upper bracket, with a guaranteed spot in the top six; the winners advance to the semifinals and the losers drop down to the lower bracket. The runner-ups and third placed teams are seeded into the lower bracket. The winners of the playoffs are crowned Rocket League World Champions.[3]
Kick-Off Weekend and Majors
Kick-Off Weekend
The 2026 season Kick-Off Weekend was held on December 7, 2025 at BLAST Studios Copenhagen. Teams qualify and are seeded based off placement in the first open. The winner of the tournament automatically qualifies to the Boston Major and earns their region an extra spot in the Paris Major. Round 1 and Quarter finals are best of five series, Semifinals and Finals are best of seven.[5][9]Template:8TeamBracket-StepladderKarmine Corp automatically qualifies to the Boston Major as champions, and Europe earns an extra spot for every international LAN of the season.[5][10]
Boston Major
The 2026 Boston Major is held from February 19 to February 22, 2026 with all matches played at the Agganis Arena.[11]
| Seed | Europe | North America | South America | MENA | Oceania | Asia-Pacific | SSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Karmine Corp | NRG | Furia Esports | Team Falcons | PWR | TSM** | Five Fears* |
| 2 | Gentle Mates | Shopify Rebellion | MIBR | Twisted Minds | |||
| 3 | Team Vitality | Virtus.pro** | |||||
| 4 | Ninjas in Pyjamas | Spacestation Gaming | |||||
| 5 | Geekay Esports |
*Non-contracted team.
**Project Delacruz was signed by TSM ahead of the Major.[12] [REDACTED] was signed by Virtus.pro ahead of the Major.[13]
Group Stage, February 19-20[11]
All matches Best of 5.
| Placement | Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TBD | NRG | Team Falcons | Karmine Corp | Gentle Mates |
| TBD | Ninjas in Pyjamas | Geekay Esports | Team Vitality | Shopify Rebellion |
| TBD | PWR | Virtus.pro | Twisted Minds | MIBR |
| TBD | Five Fears | Furia Esports | Spacestation Gaming | TSM |
Playoffs, February 21-22
All matches are Best of 7.
| Round 1 | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Grand Final | ||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Group A Winner | ||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Group D Winner | ||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Group A Runner-Up | ||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | Group D Runner-Up | ||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Group B Runner-Up | ||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Group C Runner-Up | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Group B Winner | ||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Group C Winner | ||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Prize Money (USD) | RLCS Points | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 102,000 | 30 | TBD |
| 2 | 51,000 | 20 | TBD |
| 3-4 | 36,000 | 14 | TBD |
| 5-6 | 22,500 | 10 | TBD |
| 7-8 | 15,000 | 6 | TBD |
| 9-12 | 9,000 | 5 | TBD |
| 13-16 | 4,500 | 3 | TBD |
Paris Major
The 2026 Paris Major is held from May 20 to May 24, 2026 with all matches played at the Paris La Défense Arena.
| Seed | Europe | North America | South America | MENA | Oceania | Asia-Pacific | SSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |||||||
| 2 | |||||||
| 3 | |||||||
| 4 | |||||||
| 5 |
*Non-contracted team
Group Stage, May 20-21
All matches are Best of 5.
| Placement | Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TBD | ||||
| TBD | ||||
| TBD | ||||
| TBD |
Playoffs, May 22-24
All matches are Best of 7.
| Round 1 | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Grand Final | ||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Group A Winner | ||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Group D Winner | ||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Group A Runner-Up | ||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | Group D Runner-Up | ||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Group B Runner-Up | ||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Group C Runner-Up | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Group B Winner | ||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Group C Winner | ||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Prize Money (USD) | RLCS Points | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 102,000 | 30 | TBD |
| 2 | 51,000 | 20 | TBD |
| 3-4 | 36,000 | 14 | TBD |
| 5-6 | 22,500 | 10 | TBD |
| 7-8 | 15,000 | 6 | TBD |
| 9-12 | 9,000 | 5 | TBD |
| 13-16 | 4,500 | 3 | TBD |
Rocket League World Championship
The 2026 Rocket League World Championship is held from September 15 to September 20, 2026. Its location and venue are currently to be announced.
Play-In
The Play-In stage features the bottom 8 seeds at the World Championship. All matches Best of 5. Winners of Upper and Lower Semifinals qualify to Group Stage. Template:2NTeam-NTeamBracket Template:2NTeam-NTeamBracket
Group Stage
All matches Best of 5. The top 3 from each group qualify; first place to the Playoff Upper Bracket, second and third to the Playoff Lower Bracket. Template:4TeamRRTemplate:4TeamRRTemplate:4TeamRRTemplate:4TeamRR
Playoffs
All matches Best of 7. The winners of the Upper Quarterfinals qualify for the semifinals, the losers fall to the lower quarterfinals. The winners of the lower quarterfinals qualify for the semifinals.Template:2NTeam-NTeamBracketTemplate:2NTeam-NTeamBracket
| Semifinals | Finals | ||||||
| Upper QF 1 | 0 | ||||||
| Lower QF 2 | 0 | ||||||
| 0 | |||||||
| 0 | |||||||
| Upper QF 2 | 0 | ||||||
| Lower QF 1 | 0 | ||||||
| Position | Prize Money (USD) | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 300,000 | TBD |
| 2 | 153,000 | TBD |
| 3-4 | 99,000 | TBD |
| 5-6 | 84,000 | TBD |
| 7-8 | 66,000 | TBD |
| 9-12 | 37,500 | TBD |
| 13-16 | 17,250 | TBD |
| 17-18 | 9,000 | TBD |
| 19-20 | 6,000 | TBD |
Player Awards
Players are awarded accolades throughout the season, one at the end of each Major, one for each region after the end of the LCQs, and four after the World Championship.
Global Accolades
- Season MVP: TBD (after WC)
- Boston Major MVP: TBD (after Boston Major)
- Paris Major MVP: TBD (after Paris Major)
- Striker of the season: TBD (after WC)
- Saviour of the season: TBD (after WC)
- Playmaker of the season: TBD (after WC)
Regional Accolades
- European MVP: TBD (after LCQ)
- North American MVP: TBD (after LCQ)
- South American MVP: TBD (after LCQ)
- MENA MVP: TBD (after LCQ)
- Oceanian MVP: TBD (after LCQ)
- Asia-Pacific MVP: TBD (after LCQ)
- SSA MVP: TBD (after LCQ)
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Get Ready for the Rocket League Championship Series' 2026 Season!". Rocket League. Retrieved 2026-02-16.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Warren (2026-01-27). "RLCS 2026 Guide: Format, Regions, Opens & Worlds". Retrieved 2026-02-16.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 "Rocket League Competitive Rules". Rocket League. Retrieved 2026-02-18.
- ↑ "Rocket League Championship Series 2026". start.gg. Retrieved 2026-02-16.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 "RLCS 2026". Rocket Baguette (in français). Retrieved 2026-02-18.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "RLCS Open 3 NA 2026 - 2026 Rocket League Esports Tournament". BLAST.tv. Retrieved 2026-02-16.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "New 2026 RLCS Format Promises More Games And Tougher Competition - Hotspawn". Hotspawn. 2025-10-31. Archived from the original on 2025-12-12. Retrieved 2026-02-18.
- ↑ "The RLCS 2026 Format Explained". Dignitas. 2026-01-12. Retrieved 2026-02-16.
- ↑ "RLCS Kick-Off Tournament 2026 - 2026 Rocket League Esports Tournament". BLAST.tv. Retrieved 2026-02-16.
- ↑ Nicholson, Jonno (2025-12-08). "Karmine Corp wins RLCS Kick-Off Weekend 2026". Esports Insider. Retrieved 2026-02-16.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 "RLCS 2026 Boston Major: The first international Rocket League event of the season » Esports | Esports.gg". esports.gg. 2026-02-17. Retrieved 2026-02-18.
- ↑ "TSM | Professional Rocket League Team". BLAST.tv. Retrieved 2026-02-17.
- ↑ "Virtus.pro". virtus.pro. Retrieved 2026-02-18.
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