Winter Major Recap

Victory at last for G2

G2 Esports’ predecessor, iBUYPOWER, won the World Championship in RLCS Season One. Over the next five seasons, the closest G2 Esports came to an international title was a fourth place finish in Season 4, despite winning an ELEAGUE Cup title in 2017. They came close to winning an RLCS international event in Season Seven, but fell short against Renault Vitality in the Grand Finals, even with the advantage of North American home soil. They bottomed out in Season 8, but JKnaps carried them through the promotion tournament to stay in the RLCS for Season 9. 

Then, after starting 5-0, they dropped three straight, and it looked like another strong G2 Esports season would end in disappointment. But they perfect-swept the Susquehanna Soniqs to take the #2 seed going into the playoffs, where they beat NRG Esports 4-3 and then dominated top seed Spacestation Gaming in a 4-0 sweep to win the North American title. G2 Esports truly looked like the best team in the world, and would have been favored to win the World Championship in Dallas. But then, the pandemic began, and the tournament was canceled. G2 Esports dominated the Spring Series meant to replace the World Championship, going a perfect 4-0 in series and only dropping three games to take the title. But it wasn’t the same.

G2 Esports labored through RLCS X, consistently finishing in the top four but failing to win a single event. They showed promise after Rizzo retired, but young prodigy dreaz wasn’t enough to push them to the top. The RLCS 2021-22 Season began, and it was more of the same for G2 Esports. They finished tied for fifth in the first event, and lost to The General NRG in the final of the second event. But then they final won, beating Team Envy in the Fall Classic in the longest series in RLCS history, going a full 21 games. It seemed as if G2 Esports had turned a corner, but then came the Fall Major in Stockholm. They floundered to a ninth place finish, failing to make the playoffs. The team went out and signed Atomic from Team Envy to join Chicago and JKnaps, a move criticized by many. They struggled in their first event together, but won the Rocket League 351 and finished third in the Mobil1 Mountain Classic.

JKnaps of G2 Esports (image courtesy of Rocket League Esports)

Going into the Winter Major in Los Angeles, there was a sense of optimism around G2 Esports. While it would be difficult for them to beat the very best of the RLCS and take the title, for the first time it seemed possible with Atomic on the roster. They opened with two shaky series but won them both, beating Evil Geniuses and Team Secret 3-1 and 3-2, respectively. Then came the true test: Team BDS. The best team in the world over the last year and a half, the Fall Major champions and a team that had never lost a Major, only losing one series in any Major they had played in. G2 Esports, behind JKnaps, managed to take a 3-2 victory via a win in Game 5 and top Group C. They then dominated FURIA Esports and Spacestation Gaming in the upper bracket, taking 4-2 and 4-1 victories to reach the Grand Finals. They ran into a scorching-hot Team Queso, and lost the first series 4-3 in a heartbreaker, but had an extra life since they came through the upper bracket. They used it to win 4-2, and take home the Winter Major. At long last, G2 Esports won an RLCS international event. Beyond taking home the Winter Major, they also leapfrogged FaZe Clan and The General NRG, to get the top spot in the North American rankings.

A Poor Showing for Europe (Mostly)

North American teams occupied three of the four upper bracket spots, with a South American team claiming the fourth. This meant Europe only had one team in the top six, as Dignitas, Evil Geniuses, Endpoint CeX, and Team BDS all finished eighth or worse. Now, North America has already clinched two of the eight World Championship spots, with Europe only holding one. It will take a strong showing from Europe in the Spring Major to ensure they can get more teams to the World Championship, especially with every region looking strong.

Marc_By_8 of Team BDS (image courtesy of Rocket League Esports)

European giant Team BDS started 2-0 in their group, but dropped their third series to G2 Esports. This meant they were in the lower bracket, matching up against Oceania’s #2 seed in the Pioneers. The Pioneers were the youngest team at the Winter Major, and had no previous experience in a LAN environment. They had lost both of their matches in Group D, and it was no surprise when Team BDS jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the matchup. However, the Pioneers fought back, and took Team BDS all the way to a decisive fifth game before Team BDS finally won. Despite the win, there was obviously something wrong with Team BDS. This came to fruition when they were perfect-swept by FaZe Clan in their first match with a crowd at the Youtube Theatre. After a strong Fall Major and Winter split in Europe, Team BDS will enter the trade window with questions.

Dignitas and Endpoint CeX failed to make it to the top eight, which meant they both missed out on playing in front of the first crowd in two years. Endpoint CeX beat Oceania’s #1 seed in Renegades and The General NRG in the group stage, but lost twice to FURIA Esports to finish second in Group B. They were swept by FaZe Clan in the playoffs, putting up a fight but falling short of the Youtube Theatre. Dignitas beat Pioneers in the group stage, but they were also reverse swept by Spacestation Gaming to fall to the lower bracket. There, they were reverse swept yet again by Evil Geniuses, who went on to lose to Team Queso via sweep in front of the crowd, finishing second among European teams. Evil Geniuses lost to G2 Esports and Team BDS in Group C, but beat Team Secret in a win or go home matchup to escape the group.

While Europe struggled overall, their top team from the Winter Split went on a run for the ages. Team Queso lost to Version1 in Group A and fell to the lower bracket, but beat The General NRG to make it to the Youtube Theatre before beating Evil Geniuses, FURIA Esports, FaZe Clan, Spacestation Gaming, and G2 Esports before ultimately falling short in the second series of the Grand Finals. Team Queso was a surprise success at the beginning of the split, but now they should be taken seriously as a roster with a real claim in the conversation of world’s best team.

CaioTG1 of FURIA (image courtesy of Rocket League Esports)

Not so Minor Regions

After Sandrock Gaming’s impressive Fall Major performance, the idea set in that it was no longer just Europe and North America. For years, it seemed as if nobody could ever win except those two teams. Now, the other regions have arrived. G2 Esports might have struggled more if Sandrock Gaming was able to participate, and they’ll be a team nobody wants to face in the Spring Major in London or the World Championships in Dallas. In the Winter Major, it was FURIA Esports performing excellently from a “minor” region. They topped a group with The General NRG, Endpoint CeX, and top Oceanic team Renegades. They finished in the top six, the best placement by a South American team ever.

DeToNator, after not even finishing in the top two in their region, won a game against FaZe Clan, though they ultimately came last in Group A. That may not sound like much, but considering that Asia-Pacific teams had never played a game in RLCS until the beginning of this season, that’s a huge achievement. There was clear progress from Tokyo Verdy Esports’ appearance in the Fall Major, and the region will only continue to improve. Oceania’s two teams were highly competitive, and just on the brink of a breakthrough similar to the ones by Sandrock Gaming and FURIA Esports.

Parity atop North America

For years, G2 Esports, NRG Esports, and Cloud9 battled atop the North American standings. They won every North American title from Season Two onwards, won two World Championships, and made two more Grand Finals. They were the pinnacle of the North American RLCS, the most consistent group the esport has ever seen. Then, Cloud9’s best player SquishyMuffinz joined NRG Esports before RLCS X. Cloud9 dissolved, and The General NRG went on to dominate North America. They were the region’s clear top team, winning the North American Championships at the end of the year. G2 Esports, while still somewhat successful, didn’t win a single event.

Firstkiller of FaZe (image courtesy of Rocket League Esports)

Now, halfway through RLCS 2021-22, G2 Esports is back atop the North American standings. Besides a week-long stint by FaZe Clan at the beginning of this season, The General NRG had held the top spot in the North American rankings since the RLCS X Winter Major. Now, G2 Esports has passed them after winning the Fall Major. The General NRG, the North American #1 seed entering the event, had the worst finish of any team from the region, finishing tied for ninth. The fifth seed, Spacestation Gaming, finished third in the event behind new superstar Daniel. FaZe Clan’s new roster with Sypical finished fourth. A new-look Version1 won the most difficult group in the event by beating Team Queso, FaZe Clan, and DeToNator finished sixth. North American teams dominated the event, and that domination didn’t even come from the #1 seed.

These five North American teams and eleven others will kick off the RLCS again in a little over a month, as the first event of the Spring Split begins with North America on April 29th. Until then, make sure to keep an eye out for all Shift content, as we’ll keep you updated on all the rumors, roster moves and Rocket League news throughout the trade window!