ESPN Esports Invitational: The Roster Playground
Eight teams have signed up for the ESPN Esports Invitational, the most recent North American tournament. With the roster lock-in coming in to play, it comes as a chance for teams to show off their new looks and gel in a competitive format.
The Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS) Season X kicks off on August 15th for NA sides, leaving the ESPN Esports Invitational as the last chance to prepare for the biggest season in Rocket League esports history.
With $25,000 up for grabs, here are the biggest talking points going into an action-packed weekend.
Rostermania
WILL THE NEWEST ROSTER CHANGES EXCEL FOR SPACESTATION GAMING AND RAT ENTERPRISES?
Only two of the most recent changes are to play in the ESPN Esports Invitational. SSG will be playing with retals for the first time since his announcement and AxB’s departure, with the latter poised to make his debut at Rat Enterprises. Sypical has been widely discussed as the best player in the game right now and will be looking to embed with retals as quickly as possible to make a statement ahead of RLCS X. Rat Enterprises, on the other hand, have struggled to find any form in the off-season, suggesting that it make take them a little more time to embed as a three, although AxB’s overall ability will compliment Gimmick’s offensive stylistics as well as Torment’s creative anchoring. Both sides will have all eyes averted upon them, eagerly anticipating how they will fare.
Click to enlargeThe Early Bird Catches The Worm
WILL THE EARLY ROSTER CHANGES OF NRG, TEAM ENVY, PLOT TWIST AND ROGUE BE FOR THE BETTER?
The four sides that have arguably performed the best in the off-season events are the four sides that made their roster changes early. NRG and Team Envy have endured success, winning Codename: COVERT (NRG), The Brawl 10K (Envy) and Beyond The Summit: Summer Shuffle (NRG) between them. Both Rogue and Plot Twist have also fared well so far, earning multiple top four placed finishes between them within the community tournaments, improving tenfold from the Season 9 form. However, now the rosters are all but complete, will the be able to sustain their form with the likes of Rat Enterprise looking to make a statement.
Click to enlargeWill Stability Secure Success?
G2 AND ALPINE TO CAPITALISE ON TRANSFER FLUCTUATIONS?
The only RLCS sides (post Season 9) in NA that haven’t made a roster change are G2 and Alpine. Every other side has made a change, seemingly for the better, but can the two constant rosters capitalise on teams still gelling together to make a strong start? Jknaps and Rizzo are just weeks away from breaking SquishyMuffinz and Gimmick’s record of being the longest pairing in rocket League history, and this could shine in light of so many changes. Having a great understanding and team chemistry could set these two teams apart rather than sides that aren’t yet cohesive. Both have actually struggled in recent events, with G2 finishing 7th-8th at the Summer Shuffle, and Alpine dropping before that in 11th-12th place, showing that they will have a lot to prove before RLCS X, and this could very well be their platform for improvement.
The ESPN Esports Invitational kicks off at 8pm BST / 3pm ET, with the first match between NRG and Rogue starting things off. Stay tuned at GGRecon for more Rocket League esports news.
