Rocket League is back for another run at the Esports World Cup, and it’s bringing its trademark chaos with it. From August 14 to 17, the high-flying, turbo-charged football-with-cars madness will take over Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and with a million US dollars on the line, you can bet teams will be going flat out.
Last year’s tournament had everything: highlight reel saves, clutch goals, and one of the biggest upsets in Rocket League history. Team Falcons looked unstoppable, tearing through the group stage without dropping a map and cruising past G2 Stride in the semis. But then came Team BDS, the scrappy survivors of the lower bracket, who flipped the script and shut down Falcons 4–2 in a tense final. Falcons fans were left scratching their heads, while BDS walked away with the crown.
ROCKET LEAGUE ESPORTS WORLD CUP CHAMPIONS! 🏆#BDSPOWER | #EsportsWorldCup pic.twitter.com/oi2o44XTqf
— Team BDS (@TeamBDS) August 25, 2024
This year? The field’s wide open.
The Format, No Room for Error
The tournament kicks off with 16 teams split into four groups. Each group runs on a double-elimination bracket, lose twice and you’re out. The top two from each group move on to the playoffs, where it’s single elimination from there.
Image Credit: Esports World Cup
Quarterfinals and early rounds are best-of-five, but the semis and Grand Final will switch to best-of-seven. That’s where the real mind games start, with more time for teams to adapt, change tactics, and pull off those nail-biting comebacks.
Who’s In the Running?
The lineup is stacked with talent from every corner of the Rocket League Championship Series:
- Europe: Karmine Corp, Dignitas, Team Vitality
- North America: NRG, The Ultimates, SpaceStation Gaming, Gen.G Esports
- South America: FURIA, Team Secret
- Middle East & North Africa: Team Falcons, Twisted Minds
- Oceania: Wildcard, TSM
- Sub-Saharan Africa: FUT Esports
- Asia-Pacific: Virtus.pro
Image via esportsworldcup.com
Big Money, Bigger Stakes
The Rocket League prize pool sits at a cool $1 million USD, with every team getting a slice – but first place will pocket the lion’s share along with bragging rights for the next year. There’s also a $10,000 MVP bonus for the standout player of the tournament. Here’s the breakdown.
| Rank | Prize | Club Point |
| 1st | $400,000 | 1000 |
| 2nd | $180,000 | 750 |
| 3rd | $100,000 | 500 |
| 4th | $60,000 | 300 |
| 5th-8th | $35,000 | 200 |
| 9th-12th | $20,000 | – |
| 13th-16th | $10,000 | – |
How to Watch
If you can’t make it to Riyadh, you won’t miss out. Every match will be streamed live on Twitch at twitch.tv/ewc and on the EWC YouTube channel. Expect highlight packages, interviews, and plenty of community memes flooding social media after each day’s play.
So mark your calendars, Rocket League at EWC 2025 is shaping up to be a high-speed, high-skill showdown you won’t want to miss. And if last year taught us anything, it’s that in Rocket League, no one’s safe from a surprise upset.