The first RLCS EU Regional Event of the new season took place at the weekend. Team Endpoint in particular caused a sensation. In the Grand Final even the big tournament favorite BDS could be defeated.
Rocket League eSports fans got their money’s worth again last weekend. From Friday to Sunday, the best teams in Europe faced each other in the first regional event of the RLCS season 2021/22. A total of 16 roster competed for the coveted prize money as well as important ranking points on the way to the World Cup in Katowice.
Before the start of the tournament, the roles were clearly assigned. Team BDS started with a remarkable record and plenty of tailwind from last season. But already on day 1, the giant showed slight weaknesses and even gave a series to Team SMPR Esports. The team previously known as “Top Blokes” qualified for the playoffs with ease. Similar to the later final opponent, Endpoint CeX made it into the second day of the tournament with a 3-1 in Swiss format. From a German point of view, there was unfortunately no good news to report. The team of the organization “SK Gaming” dropped out after three defeats in a row. And if you are big fan of the game, don’t forget to buy Rocket League items for your battle car.
In the single-elimination playoffs, the end for the guys from SMPR Esports, who played so strongly on day 1, was sealed in the quarter-finals. Against Team Dignitas, who had to play a total of five rounds and a record-breaking 24 games in the Swiss system, the number 2 on the seeding list was unable to match the performance of the previous day. BDS, on the other hand, displayed their own strength in the quarter-finals and semi-finals and walked through the lower part of the bracket. Things didn’t go as smoothly for Team Endpoint. On the way to the final, the English only kept their chances of winning the tournament alive in the seventh do-or-die game.
Endpoint Cex defeats Team BDS in the Grand Final – rookie with a strong performance
The final started unsurprisingly. Team BDS was able to win three of the first four games and thus impressively underlined its own title ambitions. In particular, the compact defensive performance caused great difficulties for Endpoint, so that the English eSports team couldn’t get more than one hit per game. It seemed as if the tournament favorite was heading inexorably towards Europe’s crown. But in the first duel for the set win – two set wins each consisting of a best-of-seven format are enough to win – the underdog showed strong nerves and hit back. A turning point of the evening as Team BDS ‘dominance began to crumble. In the next game, Endpoint played a big role and at times took off by four goals. The momentum had turned. Game seven and thus set one also went to the account of the English.
In particular, one rookie in the ranks of the outsider provided a number of highlight moments. The 17-year-old Enzo “Seikoo” Grondein, who recently joined the roster, showed what great talent he is on his RLCS debut and advanced to become one of the best players in the Grand Finals. The young Frenchman also contributed important goals in the second set and thus laid the foundation for the tournament victory to win RL credits. Even if Team BDS was able to force the professional Endpoint players back into a seventh duel, it was not enough. After two and a half minutes of overtime, team captain Lucas “RelatingWave” Rose put the finishing touches on a sensational performance. Prize money of $ 30,000 and 301 RLCS points went to Team Endpoint.
Rocket League newcomers convince – Team Vitality disappointed
While Team BDS was able to live up to its own favorite role for long stretches of the tournament, another big name in the scene made negative headlines. At the beginning, Team Vitality could not build on the playful class of the past season and had to start the journey home after day 1 of the EU Regionals. In the Swiss format, the reigning European champion was clearly defeated in all matchups. The final result of 0-3 was also the same as last place, as the French could win the fewest games overall.
A newcomer presented himself completely differently on the big stage. The newly founded team Karmine Corp secured a star-studded roster before the RLCS Season 11 and was able to sign Maëllo “AztraL” Ernst, among others. After a strong first day of the tournament, the newcomer was number one on the seeding list. Only in the semi-finals did the French fail despite a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series on what would later be the winning team, Endpoint. Game seven was like a tremendous game. Only one minute before the end, rookie “Seikoo” finally scored the decisive goal to make it 1-0.
