Storylines - RLCS X EU - Edition #10

Did you miss me last week? I hope you did. Nevertheless, I have returned to write about the dying weeks of the Fall Split and the event we’ve built up to for the last two and a half months - the Rocket League Championship Series Season X Fall Major.

Team Liquid

Regional Placement: Seventeenth

Fall Major Prediction: DNQ

Liquid signed what seemed like a top-four team in July, they had just placed second in a Eurocup 10K which was marred by technical issues, but since the start of RLCS X kuxir, Speed and fruity have consistently disappointed their well-established fanbase. Hopes were high heading into Regional 3 following a semi-final finish in Week 8 of The Grid, and they achieved their best performance so far, 1-3 in Stage 2, but 70 points was not enough to progress to the Fall Major. Now, with a massive points deficit, Team Liquid need to put the work in to rediscover their form of old, which I have faith they can do, with (I’m beginning to feel like a broken record here) the help of a coach.

Galaxy Racer

Regional Placement: Eighth

Fall Major Prediction: Tied fifth

The person celebrating Liquid’s downfall most is almost certainly Galaxy Racer’s arju, who was removed from the lineup back in June following a string of disappointing performances. The Italian joined the Monkeys roster as a substitute but ended up replacing Mittaen permanently from Week 4 of The Grid. Since then the team has climbed from tied fourteenth to a respectable ninth place in The Grid and reached the playoffs of Regional 3, a feat they barely missed twice with Tahz. Unfortunately, with Team BDS, Renault Vitality, Vodafone Giants, and Top Blokes in the mix, Galaxy Racer probably won’t make it beyond the quarterfinals in the Fall Major.

Click to enlarge

Magnifico

Regional Placement: Eleventh

Fall Major Prediction: Tied fifteenth

It feels like Magnifico has disappeared off the face of the earth since Regional 2. The majority Spanish lineup is the only roster at the Fall Major that did not participate in the main event for Regional 3. I’m sure they hope to avenge those losses against TrainHard eSport and Edelweiss Esports, but I can’t see them claiming any more than a single game win at the Major, if any at all.

• Read More - The RLCS X Effect

Solary

Regional Placement: Tied ninth

Fall Major Prediction: Tied twelfth

A team that has slipped under the radar for many is Solary, but they have, slowly but surely, been accumulating points in each Regional, and now they have a place in the Fall Major. One of my main concerns for Solary is that they haven’t had any standout performances - they reached the playoffs of The Grid only twice, and they only reach the playoffs in Regional 1, a whole two months ago. Assuming Solary haven’t changed, I expect them to bow out of the Major with a single win.

The Big Four

After twelve events it has become pretty clear who the contenders for taking home the Fall Major trophy are, in fact, I’ve mentioned them once already: Renault Vitality, The Grid Wildcard, Team BDS, the two-time Regional champion, Top Blokes, the consistent performer and Vodafone Giants, the clutchest roster. Heading into the major Vitality should be the most confident, they took down Team BDS in an RLCS X game for the first time since The Grid Week 5 and secured The Grid Wildcard spot, which is expected to guarantee them the highest seed at the Fall Major. Giants came within inches of stealing that wildcard, but fell short by 11 points (the only scenario where they could clinch it was if they won and Vitality went 0-2 for the night) while Oxygen fell in losers’ round two.

Top Four Major Prediction: Renault Vitality, Team BDS, Vodafone Giants, Top Blokes

Click to enlarge

Grid Promotion

As I predicted two weeks ago, Guild Esports and Galaxy Racer secured their Winter Grid spots with playoff finishes while Endpoint tied with FC Barcelona for tenth place. The better of the two teams in a tiebreaker match will retain their spot while the other must fight through a gruelling closed qualifier that is likely to feature several strong bubble teams including Barrage Esports, Rix.GG, and TrainHard eSport, alongside other teams outside the top ten such as Libertas, Fadeaway, and a resurgent Dignitas.

The Grid Tiebreaker Prediction: Endpoint wins against FC Barcelona

The date for the RLCS X Winter: The Grid Europe has not yet been confirmed, but the Fall Major starts next Saturday (October 17) at 2.30pm BST and (as usual) will be broadcast on the official Rocket League and ELEAGUETV Twitch channels.

 

Images via ZeeboDesigns | Liquipedia