Rocket League 351 Preview

The second event of the Winter Split kicks off for North America this weekend with Rocket League 351! 16 teams will compete for more points in their quest to make it to the Winter Major and, ultimately, the World Championships. Previously in North America, The General NRG won their second event of the RLCS 2021-22 season, going a perfect 6-0 throughout the event. They overcame the new-look Spacestation Gaming in the Grand Finals with a series score of 4-2, but Spacestation Gaming had made an incredible lower bracket run to even get there, winning 5 straight after coming up just shy in their group.

New Rosters Looking For Improvement

After the Fall Split, five of the top eight teams in the region made a roster move in an effort to improve on their results. Some of these teams found immediate success, including FaZe Clan and Sypical finishing third, or Spacestation Gaming and young prodigy Daniel finishing second. However, some teams struggled. Team Envy and new acquisition dreaz finished last in their group, struggling to win after replacing Atomic. Atomic’s new team, G2 Esports, finished fifth, but their lofty standards are higher. The new look Version1 finished fourth, a result that matched their best from the Fall Split. All of these rosters will be looking for better results after more time to build chemistry, and they will vie for the Rocket League 351 crown.

Group By Group Breakdown

(image courtesy of Rocket League Esports)

GrouP A - The General NRG, Version1, Rogue, Gentlemen

A group headlined by reigning North American champions The General NRG, Group A promises to be competitive. Every team is looking to improve on previous results and as a team, and it will be full of tense matchups. The General NRG looks to solidify themselves for the Winter Major, while the new Version1 is capable of beating anyone and will aim to win the group. Rogue’s young new signing, Aqua, was among the very best players at the X Games Open, and will only be better with a full event under his belt. Gentlemen qualified for their first main event since Fall Regional 1, but they went 3-0 in the closed qualifier and are capable of beating anyone.

Group B - FaZe clan, Oxygen Esports, Ghost Gaming, NXT Esports

Group B features two of the top six teams from the X Games Open in FaZe Clan and Oxygen Esports. FaZe Clan knows what it’s like to win, having won Fall Regional 1 and gone to the Upper Final last time out. They’ll be hungry to improve with their new addition of Sypical, and look to win the whole thing. Oxygen Esports will be looking to do the same, as their new player Gimmick adjusts to the roster. Ghost Gaming finished last place in their group in the X Games Open, losing a disappointing tiebreaker to G2 Esports. They’ll be looking to bounce back this time around, and regain the form that had them fighting for a Major spot in the final weekend of the Fall Split. NXT Esports is in their first event since the very first of the 2021-22 season, and will be looking for their first series win.

Group C - G2 Esports, Team envy, Xset, Susquehanna Soniqs

While G2 Esports had far and away the best result last event of anyone in the group, no matchup will be easy for any of these teams. Team Envy has been consistently successful all season, and should be better with more time to acclimate dreaz after coming last in their group in the X Games Open. G2 Esports will be looking to win the whole thing, and believe they can after more practice with Atomic. There is added motivation for these two teams as well, as this is the first time they’ll meet in official competition since making their roster swap. XSET and the Susquehanna Soniqs both had strong performances in the closed qualifier, going 3-0 and 3-1 respectively. They’ll be looking to regain the form that had them in contention throughout the Fall Split.

Group D - Complexity Gaming, Spacestation Gaming, Shopify Rebellion, Charlotte Phoenix

Group D may be the toughest group in the event, headlined by X Games Open silver medalists Spacestation and regional transfer turned Fall Major qualifiers Complexity Gaming. Both hope to continue their success, and work towards qualifying for the Winter Major. Shopify Rebellion and Charlotte Phoenix both compete in their third main event of the season, and hope to string together some wins. Shopify Rebellion found some success in the last event, finishing in the top 8, and will try to build on that. Charlotte Phoenix returns to the main stage after missing out on the X Games Open, and will attempt to climb the standings as we near the halfway point of the season.

Don’t forget to watch Rocket League 351 this weekend as North America’s top teams compete! Matches start Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 1 p.m. EST, with team streams on Friday supplementing the main broadcast on Twitch.tv/RocketLeague.