At the end of last year, we discussed Rocket League‘s Mannfield Night 5K event and why you should still go back and watch it if you haven’t. Now, Rocket League commentator and analyst John “Johnnyboi_i” MacDonald has announced the North American equivalent: The Salt Mine. Starting Oct 10, a host of North American 1v1 mains will fight for the title of best 1v1 player in the region. Hopefully, as Johnny himself stated, it will be followed up by an inter-region championship between Europe and North America to determine the very best 1v1 player in the world.
How will The Salt Mine work?
Like the MN5K, the league will feature a round-robin league followed by a single-elimination gauntlet. This ensures that the first-place finisher in the league has much less work cut out for him in the gauntlet than the last-place finisher, as he will only have to win one series to win the whole thing.
Whereas the MN5K was named after the stadium all matches were played in, Mannfield Night, the Salt Mine will take place on several different maps. The prize pool remains the same at $5000, as that is the maximum amount of prize money before one has to request Psyonix’s official permission, keep to tournament rules, and all that fun stuff.
Why should I watch this?
We discussed why you would want to watch the MN5K already, but there’s no harm in reminding you, albeit a bit more quicker. Firstly, more goals. 1v1 games are usually much higher scoring games since a single mistake is punished immediately.
Secondly, personal highlights. In a 3v3 game, it’s sometimes difficult to spot all the highlights and performances of the players. A 1v1 game is much more focused on single players, and you’ll see individual highlights much more often.
Thirdly, the players have much more freedom to play with the ball than they do in 3v3. This ties into the previous point. You’ll not only spot individual highlights more easily, but you’ll also see things you rarely see in 3v3. Players can’t be tackled from the side or from behind. Once they have the ball, you’re often in for a treat.
Sounds good. Who’s playing?
The Salt Mine will feature players who are considered 1v1 gods. While you may recognize some from RLCS, others have only made a name for themselves in the 1v1 scene, or are too young to play in the RLCS. The first three were handpicked, while the final five qualified for the tournament.
- Jason “Firstkiller” Corral
- Cameron “Kronovi” Bills
- Treyven “Lethamyr” Robitaille
- Jason “Chicken” Clarkson
- Jack “Mectos” Privitera
- “Chronic”
- “Forky”
- “Lionblaze”
You’ll be able to catch all this action starting Oct 10 on Johnnyboi’s Twitch and YouTube channels. Do you recognize all players in the list? Let us know in the comments below.
