Psyonix has revealed Verizon as the official 5G sponsor for the North American Rocket League Championship Series X (RLCS X). It is still unclear what the partnership between the two companies will entail. It could involve brand activations or sponsored broadcast segments. Regardless, the sponsorship will only apply to the North American region.
Verizon to sponsor RLCS X
“With rapid and fast-paced changes taking the Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS) by storm this year, we needed a partner who could stay up to speed,” wrote a Psyonix blog post about the announcement. “They know a thing or two about delivering consistent results as America’s most awarded network, which is why we’re excited to have them powering the North American RLCS all season long.”
The new version of the RLCS X will consist of an open event-based circuit format, rather than the past League Play format and bi-annual seasons. This was first announced in July, with several huge changes to the competitive Rocket League scene. This includes three splits with their own standalone regional events, different sized team brackets for each split, and a large $4.5 million overall prize pool. This format rewards teams for high-level performance over a long period of time instead of inconsistency.
Each event will grant points toward a World Championship qualification. Regional events will be used to qualify toward a Major as well. There were also a few changes to the final championship event. It will have a $1 million prize pool and an expansion to 16 teams total that can participate. There will be six teams each from North America and Europe. In addition, two teams from each of the South American and Oceanic regions will qualify through their own separate circuits.
Fans will be able to see Verizon’s first involvement with the RLCS X this weekend of the North American Regional tournament. 32 teams will clash against each other in three stages. A 32-team swiss system, 16-team swiss system, and an 8-team playoffs bracket for a $100,000 prize pool.
