Rocket League’s Regional Championships just got a lot more competitive.
Psyonix increased the prize pool for all Regional Championships in this season of the Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS). The news comes just two days after the company canceled the World Championship due to concerns over the coronavirus.
“We evaluated next steps and are making the Regional Championships the pinnacle of Season 9,” an official blog post reads. “Because of this, we are adding $250,000 of additional prizing to the Regional Championships across the four regions that were set to compete at the World Championship.”
The extra prize will be divided between the teams who would have qualified for the World Championship if the tournament would take place. North America and Europe had the biggest increase in prizes, but the new division also benefits South America and Oceania.
Teams who win in the NA and EU regionals will get an extra $52,000 and will take home a grand total of $70,000. The prize for second place will be $40,000, up from $13,000. The prize for third place holders nearly tripled with the new division, and will feature an added $10,500, up from the previous $6,000.
The top two teams in Oceania and South America will also benefit from the increased prize pool. The winner of the OCE Championship will receive an additional $15,000 to a total of $37,500. The runner-up will take home $24,000—a $10,000 increase.
South America follows the same proportion but with lower end results. The top team in South America will receive $23,000 in prizes, and the runner-up takes $17,000.
Psyonix also aims to promote the Regional Championships and keep its esports scene flowing. The company is “working on a plan” to deliver the regional competitions live and online.
