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Recaps, features, opinion, and the occasional rant — every post we've published, newest first.
RLCS
Falcons, Virtus.pro, FUT, and Bigodes Survive the Worlds Play-In
All ten opening-day results as Falcons and Virtus.pro advance unbeaten, FUT and Bigodes recover, and the Worlds field drops from 20 teams to 16.
RLCS
Worlds 2026: The Complete Fort Worth Preview
All 20 starting rosters, the six-day format, full prize distribution, and the contenders with the strongest claim to Rocket League's biggest title.
RLCS
One Crown to Defend, One to Award: 1v1 and 2v2 Worlds Preview
Nwpo defends the 1v1 title while four elite duos compete to become the first official RLCS 2v2 World Champions.
Features
Vatira Leads the Inaugural First Touch Rocket League Awards
Vatira takes season MVP and defensive honors, with zen, Extra, nass, and jstn. among the winners before Worlds.
Features
Rocket League Worlds Is Going to the Movies
AMC will carry Championship Sunday live from Fort Worth at 50 U.S. theaters, creating a third option between the arena and watching at home.
Meta
The Worlds Bundle Puts Community Spending Behind Teams and Players
A new 1,100-Credit bundle sends 100% of net sales into placement-based team payouts and panel- or statistics-driven player awards.
Features
Falcons Won Rocket League. AG.AL Won the EWC Club Championship
Falcons' Rocket League title reopened the overall EWC race, but AG.AL's final-week Trackmania win delivered a 5,300-point Club Championship.
RLCS
Team Falcons Win EWC 2026 With a Grand Final Sweep
Falcons sweep Spacestation 4-0 in the Grand Final, NiP take third, and dralii, Kiileerrz, and Rw9 leave Paris with the EWC trophy.
RLCS
EWC 2026 Playoffs: KC Survive, Falcons and SSG Advance
Four quarterfinals, two Game 7s, and a championship Sunday field of KC, Falcons, Spacestation, and Ninjas in Pyjamas.
RLCS
EWC 2026 Day Three: The Playoff Field Is Complete
Shopify, Twisted Minds, Gentle Mates, and Karmine Corp win through the lower bracket to complete the eight-team playoff field.
RLCS
EWC 2026 Day Two: Four Teams Book Playoff Places
Vitality, NiP, Spacestation, and Falcons qualify through the upper bracket, while KC are forced into a do-or-die route.
RLCS
EWC 2026 Day One: TSM and NiP Upset the Board
TSM beat NRG 3-1, NiP took down Shopify Rebellion 3-1, and Karmine Corp swept Wildcard. All eight opening series are in the books, and Thursday's upper-bracket finals are set.
Opinion
The Road to Fort Worth: Five Storylines That Could Decide Worlds 2026
The 20-team field is set, EWC comes first, and five storylines could shape Worlds: KC's title chase, NA at home, MENA's joint-record field, the side championships, and the underdogs.
RLCS
The Worlds 2026 Field Is Complete: LCQ Delivers the Final Four
R8 Esports, Bigodes, FUT Esports, and Mate y Tapa win the Last Chance Qualifiers, Wildcard takes the OCE tiebreaker, and the 20-team Fort Worth field is officially set. NA sends five teams; MENA sends a joint-record three.
Data
Summer Power Rankings: The Worlds Contender Board
An editorial top 10 informed by the Boston and Paris results, official circuit standings, and BLAST's July 4 ratings. Karmine Corp lead, Gentle Mates are the reliability pick, and Vitality offer upside.
RLCS
The 1v1 Worlds Field Is Set: Nass, diaz, Kv1, and Nwpo Qualify
Nass beats zen, diaz outlasts Firstkiller, Kv1 takes South America, and defending champion Nwpo wins MENA. The four-player Fort Worth bracket is complete.
RLCS
The 2v2 Worlds Field Is Set: Spacestation, Backyardigans Lock In
Reveal and Zach win the NA 2v2 Open, Backyardigans take MENA, and the full four-team Fort Worth bracket is locked. The marquee semifinal: Atow + zen vs Spacestation in the opening round.
RLCS
Atow and zen Sweep the First-Ever RLCS 2v2 European Open
Two rivals, one duo. Atow (Karmine Corp) and zen (Vitality) teamed up as No Miss Just Fake and went 44-1 across the EU 2v2 bracket, sweeping Gentle Mates 4-0 in the Grand Final to claim Europe's first 2v2 Worlds ticket.
RLCS
Karmine Corp Reclaim the Throne at the Paris Major
A 4-1 Grand Final win over Twisted Minds on home soil gives Karmine Corp their third RLCS Major and Vatira a record-tying fourth title in the open era.
Data
Power Rankings vs Points: Why Gentle Mates Are Still the Algorithm's Pick
Karmine Corp won Paris. So why does BLAST's post-Paris global power ranking still have Gentle Mates first? Two methodologies, two leaders, two different answers to "who's the Worlds favorite?"
Features
Twisted Minds Are MENA's New #1
A grand final run at Paris, the MENA standings lead (105 to Falcons' 78), and a four-series win streak through three Worlds-qualified teams. MENA has a new flagship roster.
Features
The Vatira GOAT Debate: Four Majors and a Tied Record
With his Paris win, Axel "Vatira" Touret has tied Turbopolsa for the most RLCS Major and Worlds titles in the open era. So is he the GOAT yet?
RLCS
Worlds 2026 Preview: 20 Teams, Six Days, Fort Worth
The RLCS World Championship returns to Dickies Arena for a third time, with $1.2 million on the line and a stacked European field chasing the ring.
Opinion
Rocket League Bets on Unreal Engine 6
Epic and Psyonix used the Paris Major to announce the engine rebuild every long-time player has been bracing for. The upside is huge. The risk is the physics.
Meta
2v2s Join RLCS: The New Format, Explained
The 2026 season adds a full 2v2 circuit alongside 1v1 and 3v3. Here's how the Opens work, who qualifies, and what it means for the competitive ladder.
Data
Pre-Paris Power Rankings: The Field, Heading In
Five days from the Paris Major, who is actually peaking? Top 10 ranked using BLAST's last-3-month player ratings, full Split 2 Open results, and the eye test.
RLCS
Split 2 Heats Up: Vitality, Spacestation, and a Three-Winner NA
Opens 4 and 5 in the books and Split 2 has produced four different regional winners across NA and EU. The contender picture has never been less defensible.
Meta
Visible MMR, Flip Reset Indicator: Patch v2.66 Breakdown
Rocket League's Season 22 update ships visible MMR, an in-game flip reset indicator, boost timer visualization, and a long list of QoL changes. What actually matters at the pro level.
Features
The 2026 Trade Window: Roster Moves and the New Eligibility Rule
Spacestation lands Zach, FUT rebuilds around jstn., Manchester City signs Seikoo, and Gentle Bench rebrands into Team Vitalité. The full breakdown of the 2026 mid-season transfer window.
RLCS
Gentle Mates Win the Boston Major
A 4-2 Grand Final win over Team Vitality gives Gentle Mates their breakthrough trophy — and exposes a Karmine Corp split that's quietly raising questions.
RLCS
Boston Major 2026 Preview: First Stop, North America
The 2026 season's first Major returns RLCS to Boston. Karmine Corp pre-qualified, Shopify Rebellion dangerous, and a new-look NRG fighting to defend.
RLCS
Karmine Corp Take Copenhagen, Earn Europe an Extra Major Slot
The inaugural Kickoff Weekend goes to Karmine Corp with a 4-0 over Shopify Rebellion, and Europe gets a bonus qualification slot heading into Boston.
RLCS
RLCS 2026 Season: Kickoff Weekend, 2v2 Joins, Boston-Paris-Fort Worth
The 2026 season adds a Copenhagen Kickoff LAN, integrates 2v2, expands Worlds to six days, and runs Majors in Boston, Paris, and Fort Worth. Full breakdown.
Features
What NRG's Worlds Win Actually Means
Atomic, BeastMode, and Daniel didn't just win Worlds. They rewrote the regional power balance, the NA gap narrative, and the GOAT conversation in five days.
RLCS
NRG Win RLCS 2025 Worlds in Lyon
North America breaks through. NRG defeat Team Falcons 4-1 in the Grand Final to claim the 2025 Rocket League World Championship. Nwpo claims the inaugural 1v1 Worlds.
RLCS
RLCS 2025 Worlds Preview: 20 Teams Take Lyon
The 2025 Worlds runs September 10-14 at LDLC Arena in Lyon-Décines. Twenty teams, the first-ever 1v1 World Championship, and the season's biggest prize pool on the line.
Features
Karmine Corp Win the 2025 Esports World Cup
The Blue Wall add a second 2025 trophy to the cabinet, beating Geekay Esports in the Rocket League Featured event at the EWC in Riyadh.
RLCS
Team Falcons Finally Lift a Trophy at the Raleigh Major
Team Falcons end years of close calls with a 4-1 Grand Final win over Dignitas, taking MENA's first-ever RLCS international title. Nwpo claims the second 1v1 Major.
RLCS
Raleigh Major 2025 Preview: NA's Best Shot at a Trophy
Major 2 of 2025 lands in Raleigh June 26-29, with $400K on the line and Worlds qualification points still up for grabs. NA's best chance on home soil.
Features
Mid-Season 2025: What Birmingham Told Us
With Split 1 done and Split 2 underway, what the first LAN revealed about the contender tier, the NA gap, and where the season is actually heading.
RLCS
Karmine Corp Sweep Birmingham, Mawkzy Wins the First-Ever 1v1 Major
Karmine Corp dispatched The Ultimates 4-0 in the Grand Final to win the 2025 Birmingham Major. Mawkzy edged yanxnz 4-3 to claim the inaugural RLCS 1v1 Major title.
RLCS
Birmingham Major 2025 Preview: The First LAN of a New Year
16 teams from seven regions descend on Resorts World Arena for the 2025 season's first Major and the inaugural RLCS 1v1 tournament.
Data
Power Rankings: Heading Into Birmingham
Our first power rankings of 2025. Karmine Corp on top, NRG quietly looking dangerous, and a MENA team you should know about.
Meta
The 2025 RLCS Open Format, Explained
How a typical 2025 regional Open actually plays out: two Swiss groups of 16, a GSL stage, and a hybrid elimination playoff bracket.
Features
2024 RLCS Year in Review: Team BDS, Two Majors, One Reboot
Looking back at the RLCS 2024 season: Gentle Mates Alpine in Copenhagen, G2 Stride in London, Team BDS hoisting the trophy in Fort Worth.
RLCS
RLCS 2025 Preview: A $5M Year and the 1v1 Era Begins
The 2025 RLCS season adds 1v1 to the circuit, expands Worlds to 20 teams, and ships a $5 million prize pool. Here's what's actually changing.
About
Welcome to Hardwire Media
The founding post: why we're starting yet another Rocket League outlet, and what we plan to do differently.