If you had “Epic Games picks a wildly unpredictable new location for the biggest tournament of the year” on your bingo card, go ahead and tear it up. During the second day of the Paris Major, the organizers officially confirmed what everyone had been whispering about for months. The Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS) World Championship Finals are heading straight back to Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
This marks the third time the venue will host the pinnacle of flying-car esports, having previously held the honor in 2022 and 2024. Scheduled from September 15 to 20, the tournament will see 20 teams from around the globe descend on the Dallas-adjacent arena to see who can snatch the crown from the reigning 2025 champions, NRG Esports.
The BLAST Connection
The decision to stick with Fort Worth makes a ton of operational sense when you look at who is running the show. BLAST is the production company steering the RLCS circuit these days, and they practically live at Dickies Arena. The venue just hosted their BLAST Rivals Spring Counter-Strike event earlier this May.
By keeping the World Championship in a building they already know inside out, the production crew can focus on making the broadcast look spectacular instead of guessing where the server racks go. It might lack the novelty of a brand-new city, but it guarantees a smooth tournament pipeline.
The European Lock
Even though the main event is still months away, the regional point standings have already locked in a massive chunk of the bracket. Europe is looking incredibly top-heavy this year, completely maxing out its baseline representation.
All five European organizations competing at the Paris Major have mathematically punched their tickets to Texas. Gentle Mates, who took home the trophy at the Boston Major earlier this season, are leading the charge. Joining them on the flight across the Atlantic are Karmine Corp, Team Vitality, Ninjas in Pyjamas, and Manchester City.
The Last Chance Scramble
While Europe, North America, and South America have largely sorted out their core representatives, the final four slots of the 20-team grid will come down to a brutal Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ) format. The four strongest RLCS regions get one slot each. Europe, North America, and MENA are already guaranteed their LCQ brackets, while Oceania and South America are currently knocking heads at the Paris Major to see who gets the absolute final wildcard spot.
Over in the MENA region, the drama is reaching a fever pitch. Twisted Minds have already secured their spot, but the legendary Team Falcons are on absolute life support. After failing to qualify for the Paris Major, their entire season now depends on R8 Esports losing early enough in France to keep the Falcons ahead in the points race.
Texas is officially the permanent home of rocket-powered soccer. Get your cowboy hats ready, because the local herd is about to get disrupted by a lot of supersonic aerials this September.