Psyonix’s Rocket League has remained quite popular since its debut in 2015. With nearly 100 million monthly players, support from parent company Epic Games (which bought Psyonix in 2019), and more tournaments being added worldwide, Rocket League is in a good position to enjoy steady growth in the years ahead.

For the past five years, the Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS), has grown larger and increased its prize pool, and last fall, Psyonix added tournaments for regions such as MENA, Sub-Saharan Africa, APAC North, and APAC South. Unlike MOBAs or fast-paced shooters, Rocket League has gameplay that is accessible for everyone, friendly for all ages, and matches that are easier for casual fans to follow. The game’s vehicle-based content also has made it a natural fit for many leading car brands, with the likes of BMW and others partnering with Psyonix to be featured in the game.

“I see it as massively helpful to the growth of our sport that we can talk to those brands and get in front of those guys and have their audience feel engaged,” Cliff Shoemaker, Esports Director at Psyonix, commented to Esports Insider. “It’s what really makes this sport stand out amongst other esports. It’s a big reason why I’m here and continue to just be so bullish on it.”

With more sponsors and car brands signing up and Psyonix offering revenue sharing for team skins sold in Rocket League, the esports community seems to be gravitating towards the game lately, as organizations like Misfits, Evil Geniuses, Natus Vincere, Luminosity Gaming, and Complexity have all joined (or come back to) the competitive Rocket League scene in recent months.

Ultimately, the goal is to join the ranks of League of Legends or CS:GO as a “Tier 1” esport. That’s likely to take some time as viewership for Rocket League remains just a fraction of LoL, but all signs point to increasing momentum. Last year’s Fall Major nearly doubled the hours watched of the Season 8 World Championship even though it wasn’t a championship-level event.

Additionally, according to Interpret’s New Media Measure®, the percent of esports viewers and game-related video watchers streaming tournaments, non-tournament matches and videos about Rocket League has grown significantly in the last year. Coinciding with the Fall Major, Interpret data shows that 53% of esports and game-related video viewers in the US watched Rocket League content.  

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