Rocket League World Cup: What to Expect from the RLCS World Championship 2025!

Turbo-powered cars and aerial acrobatics fight for every goal with speed and precision in the Rocket League World Cup! Lyon, France, will host the RLCS World Championship 2025, featuring breathtaking rounds and tight battles that will decide the best team on the planet on September 14 — in one of today’s most important eSports competitions!

Eight teams have already started the tournament in the Play-In stage, securing spots for ROC Esports, Ninjas in Pyjamas, Virtus.pro, and Gen.G Mobil1 Racing at the LDLC Arena. Now it’s time for even more thrilling matches in this true spectacle, which is not about individual talent but about synergy, innovative tactics, and strategic decisions.

Some things have changed in this year’s edition, so we’ve prepared this complete guide to cover every trio competing for the title. Ready for excitement until the very last minute? Then press Start and keep reading!

What is the schedule of the Rocket League World Cup 2025?

The Rocket League RLCS 2025 World Championship has already kicked off in Lyon, France, and will feature five days of intense action. Here are the dates for each stage of the tournament:

Play-In (September 10): Teams battle for the final spots in the Group Stage.

Group Stage (September 11 and 12): Two brackets with 8 teams each, deciding who advances to the playoffs.

Playoffs (September 13 and 14): Decisive clashes leading up to the grand final.

From September 12 to 14, fans will be able to attend the matches in person in Lyon!

What is the format of the Rocket League World Cup 2025?

The RLCS World Championship 2025 is divided into three stages, each with its own rules. Among the key changes this season is the switch in how matchups are determined: the Swiss System is out, replaced by the GSL format — where matches and brackets are drawn.

Another novelty is the Play-In stage, held on September 10, which added eight teams to the tournament. This stage was played using a Double Elimination format, divided into Upper and Lower Brackets, with Best-of-Five (Bo5) series — meaning up to five games until one team can no longer be surpassed.

In the Play-In, a knockout defined two teams qualifying through the Upper Bracket: ROC Esports and Ninjas in Pyjamas. The losers had a second chance to advance in the Lower Bracket, starting with duels between the initial losers, followed by a decisive match against the Upper Bracket finalists — resulting in Virtus.pro and Gen.G Mobil1 Racing also qualifying.

The Group Stage will be played on September 11 and 12, with the teams divided into two groups of eight. Here, the rules remain the same as in the previous stage of the Rocket League World Championship. Since the Swiss System was left behind in 2024, the Swiss Tiebreaker is no longer used to define the next round.

The Playoffs will be held on September 13 and 14, with Double Elimination replaced by the AFL Final Eight system. In this format, the four teams advancing through the Upper Bracket have two chances to reach the Final Four, while the Lower Bracket teams only get one. Another change is the adoption of Best-of-Seven (Bo7) series to decide who advances, with up to seven games per duel — increasing both the drama and competitiveness.

For those who want to better understand the terms and strategies used by the teams, be sure to check out our eSports Glossary.

What is the prize pool of the Rocket League World Cup 2025?

For those who love the competitive eSports scene, here’s some good news: no one will leave empty-handed! Epic Games and BLAST brought in major sponsors such as Progressive, Blacklyte, and La Banque Postale to provide a total prize pool of $1.2 million to be shared among the teams of the RLCS World Championship 2025.

The champion of this year’s Rocket League World Cup will take home $300,000, while the runner-up will receive $153,000. Still in the Final Four, the third and fourth place teams will each earn $99,000.

Other teams in the Final Eight will receive $84,000 or $66,000 — awarded respectively to fifth and sixth place, and seventh and eighth place. Meanwhile, ninth through twelfth place will receive $37,500, and teams finishing thirteenth through sixteenth will get $17,250.

To complete the distribution, teams eliminated in the Play-In will receive smaller prizes. Those knocked out in the Lower Bracket Final will take $9,000, while the other two will get a $6,000 consolation prize.

Which teams will play in the Rocket League World Cup 2025?

We’ve already talked a lot about the RLCS competitive scene in our special Rocket League guide, but let’s refresh your memory. The Rocket League World Championship features a total of 20 teams from seven regions: Middle East & North Africa (MENA), Europe, North America, South America, Asia-Pacific (APAC), Oceania, and Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

Two criteria were used to determine the participants: regional rankings and the Last Chance Qualifiers, which are knockout rounds used to decide four slots based on each region’s performance.

Qualified through RLCS Regional Rankings

Europe and North America are the two regions with the most slots in this stage, with four teams each. Next are Oceania, South America, and MENA, each with two teams, while APAC and SSA sent only one representative via the regional ranking.

Here are all the teams:

• Karmine Corp (Europe): Vatira, Atow, and dralii form a balanced and aggressive trio with experience in major European finals.
• Dignitas (Europe): stizzy, ApparentlyJack, and Joreuz bring consistency and high-level mechanics, aiming to reclaim the spotlight.
• Team Vitality (Europe): Zen, M0nkey M00n, and ExoTiiK lead a technical and organized squad, focused on ball control and fast transitions.
• Geekay Esports (Europe): Archie, Joyo, and oaly stand out for creativity and an unpredictable playstyle.
• NRG (North America): Atomic, BeastMode, and Daniel return strong, combining offensive aggressiveness with solid defense.
• Spacestation Gaming (North America): Scrzbbles, reveal, and kofyr bet on speed and pressure with an aggressive style.
• The Ultimates (North America): Firstkiller, Lj, and Chronic look to surprise with refined strategy and mechanics.
• Gen.G Mobil1 Racing (North America): MaJicBear, CHEESE., and justin form a dangerous team, blending experience with top-tier mechanical skill.
• Wildcard (Oceania): Fever, Torsos, and bananahead bring a young, creative style, ready to challenge favorites.
• TSM (Oceania): Superlachie, Amphis, and kaka are bold and unpredictable, capable of electrifying performances.
• FURIA Esports (South America): yANXNZ, Lostt, and DRUFINHO represent Brazil with constant pressure and daring plays.
• Team Secret (South America): kv1, swiftt, and Motta showcase great synergy, consistency, and fast transitions.
• Team Falcons (MENA): Trk511, Rw9, and Kiileerrz bring discipline and precise finishing from the Middle East.
• Twisted Minds (MENA): Nwpo, rise., and AtomiK form a versatile, hybrid trio, combining European and Saudi talent.
• Virtus.pro (Asia): Catalysm, sosa, and Sphinx deliver international experience and analytical tactics.
• FUT Esports (Sub-Saharan Africa): VKSailen, Leoro, and TORRES8232 represent Spain with a technical, solid style.

Qualified through Last Chance Qualifiers

The Last Chance Qualifiers featured multiple matches to determine the final four slots, with each win adding points to the respective region. Thus, MENA, Europe, North America, and South America came out on top with, respectively, 32, 26.75, 19, and 18 points.

And why is this important? In case a team cannot participate, the region can assign a new representative. That was the case with Corinthians Esports, who were set to represent South America but had to be replaced.

Here are all the teams that qualified through the Last Chance Qualifiers:

• ROC Esports (MENA): Senzo, Whiz, and Rnq combine tactical discipline with offensive aggression, aiming to surprise international powerhouses.
• MIBR (South America): brad, droppz, and Reysbull represent Brazil with quick plays and consistency, determined to show strength on the world stage.
• Shopify Rebellion (North America): LionBlaze, Memory, and Parabellum bring experience and resilience, relying on coordination and teamwork.
• Ninjas in Pyjamas (Europe): Oski, Ole, and Yukiss form a young, skilled trio, known for mechanical creativity and constant pressure.

Who has already been eliminated from the Rocket League World Cup 2025?

We started our coverage of the RLCS World Championship 2025 from the Group Stage, which means some teams have already said goodbye to Lyon. That was the case for MIBR, Shopify Rebellion, FUT Esports, and TSM, eliminated in the Play-In.

You can follow the results on the official Rocket League World Championship 2025 page, with real-time updates.

What are the Groups of the Rocket League World Cup 2025?

As we explained at the beginning of this guide, the Group Stage features 16 teams divided into two groups. Check out each one below, with the matchups for each bracket:

Group A

Participating Teams: Karmine Corp, Virtus.pro, The Ultimates, Geekay Esports, Dignitas, ROC Esports, Wildcard, and FURIA.

Upper Bracket Quarterfinals: Karmine Corp 3 x 0 Virtus.pro, The Ultimates 3 x 0 Geekay Esports, Dignitas 3 x 0 ROC Esports, and Wildcard 3 x 0 FURIA.

Upper Bracket Semifinals: Karmine Corp 1 x 3 The Ultimates, Wildcard 3 x 0 Dignitas — The Ultimates and Wildcard are qualified for the Playoffs.

Lower Bracket First Round: Virtus.pro vs. Geekay Esports and ROC Esports vs. FURIA.

Lower Bracket Second Round: Dignitas vs. Virtus.pro or Geekay Esports and Karmine Corp vs. ROC Esports or FURIA.

Group B

Participating Teams: Team Falcons, Gen.G Mobil1 Racing, Spacestation, Team Vitality, NRG, Ninjas in Pyjamas, Team Secret, and Twisted Minds.

Upper Bracket Quarterfinals: Team Falcons 3 x 0 Gen.G Mobil1 Racing, Spacestation 2 x 3 Team Vitality, NRG 3 x 2 Ninjas in Pyjamas, and Team Secret 3 x 1 Twisted Minds.

Upper Bracket Semifinals: Team Falcons vs. Team Vitality and NRG vs. Team Secret.

Lower Bracket First Round: Gen.G Mobil1 Racing vs. Spacestation and Ninjas in Pyjamas vs. Twisted Minds.

Lower Bracket Second Round: Team Falcons or Team Vitality vs. Gen.G Mobil1 Racing or Spacestation, and NRG or Team Secret vs. Ninjas in Pyjamas or Twisted Minds.

Where to watch the Rocket League World Cup 2025?

If you’re a big fan and want to attend the tournament in person, you’d better hurry: the so-called Crowd Days with fans in attendance will be held from September 12 to 14, with tickets available on the official LDLC Arena website.

For remote viewing, the official Rocket League YouTube channel will stream the World Championship in English, Spanish e French. Twitch will broadcast it in English, Spanish e Portuguese. To complete the lineup, TikTok will offer coverage only in English for those who want to watch the matches there.

Bet on Rocket League at Blaze!

Now you know everything about the Rocket League World Cup and you’re ready to plan your picks. Or rather, we still need to go over a few important things before you dive into the excitement of car soccer!

Always remember to study data, statistics, rules, and how each betting market works before placing your bets. Don’t forget to read our eSports betting guide for more tips that will help you prepare.

Play responsibly, understanding that betting on Rocket League or anything else is meant to be fun. It is not a way to make money, invest, or monetize — as that mindset can lead to a Game Over. Be aware of the risks to your mental and financial health, and only use money you can afford to lose.

Now you’re all set! Want to make your RLCS World Championship 2025 experience even more exciting and fun? Visit Blaze’s eSports page and bet on the Rocket League World Championship!