Psyonix has confirmed that Alex “Goldenboy” Mendez will return to host the seventh RLCS World Championship in New Jersey next week. After hosting seasons one and four, Goldenboy will make his third appearance for the RLCS as a stage host. The community met the news with excitement and praise. Goldenboy is considered one of the “OG”s of the scene, and he is loved by many.
Pleased to announce that I’m coming back to ROCKET LEAGUE!
I’ll be hosting the stage for the #RLCS7 World Championships and I’m so excited to be reuniting with such a fantastic community!
See you in New Jersey 😊 pic.twitter.com/Rg3UaBJ4pd
— Goldenboy (@GoldenboyFTW) June 14, 2019
Goldenboy in, but who’s out?
Besides Goldenboy, Psyonix confirmed the other talent line-up as well. It’s mostly as expected, with the RLCS analysts and casters from the online league play section being present. Additionally, we’ll see Jack “Corelli” Collier from the RLRS as a caster and Abner “Chamako09” Custodio Gonzalez as an analyst. The latter joins the RLCS from Puerto Rico, where he casts the South American Grand Series. He’ll bring in-depth knowledge about the South American teams, who will be playing on the greatest Rocket League stage for the first time.
But with the new talent confirmed, there is one very big and beloved name still missing. After a long while of visa issues, there’s still no word of when fan-favorite Callum “Shogun” Keir might return. He has had to sit out seasons six and seven so far, with no resolution in sight. The Englishman is not allowed to work in the United States with his current visa, and his absence is clearly noticeable on the broadcasts. Current desk host Brody “Liefx” Moore dealt with similar issues in the past, but the Canadian has since returned as a permanent presence at the RLCS. We can only hope Shogun’s issues will resolve before the start of season eight.
Format changes
With the two extra teams from South America in the RLCS this season, the world championship is more stacked than ever. However, this also meant there were more games than ever. A format change was going to be necessary. As opposed to the usual double elimination bracket from past seasons, the RLCS World Championship will now employ a two-day round-robin group stage into a one-day single elimination bracket. Psyonix intends to use this format in every season beyond season seven.
The RLCS Season 7 World Championships begin Friday, June 21 and will be broadcast on Rocket League’s Twitch and YouTube channels. Do you have any crazy predictions yet? Let us know in the comments below!
