There’s no simpler rivalry than a regional one, but after a decade of back-and-forth between North America and Europe – in particular, France – the RLCS Paris Major cemented that Rocket League came home.

Born out of a tiny studio in the US that was workshopping some extra mini games to port into Gears of War, Rocket League was born and raised in Satellite Beach, Florida. 

The deep roots of the ‘Soccar’ game as we know it were all American, from the game’s DNA to the first-ever RLCS World Championships in Los Angeles and the current World Champions, the high-octane game is the Texas Barbecue of American esports.

Or is it?

For nearly a decade, the grasp that the US had over the RLCS has been slipping, and off the back of two dynasties and the current creme de la creme of competitors, France has pulled the Uno reverse card out from the Statue of Liberty, and has stolen Rocket League from under Big Sam’s nose.

As expected, the US dominated Rocket League when it first came out, with the first RLCS World Championships going to the home teams in Los Angeles. But that prose was soon challenged by Europe, which had found a love for the game as it had for most esports, and the fabled, intertwined golden trophy began to be passed around from country to country.

That was, until Alexandre “Kaydop” Courant arrived. Known now as the Maradona or Babe Ruth of Soccar, Kaydop launched a dynasty that would span four years of dominance and six consecutive World Championship Grand Finals appearances, winning three and only having a fourth denied by the global pandemic. 

Fortunately for the US, the last Worlds before the lockdown was snatched from Kaydop’s hand by former teammate Pierre “Turbopolsa” Silfver, who had ported to America to bring the trophy back. 

But Kaydop’s brilliance brought a wave of aspiring young Frenchmen through to the RLCS, and backed by new communities and local tournament organisers (such as Rocket Baguette), the region was soon left waiting for the shackles of the pandemic to be lifted so that it could get back to the international stage. Although the legend himself had now passed the baton to Evan “M0nkey M00n” Rogez.

From there, the dubbed “Open Era” icon carried the French flame into battle against the US time after time again, and often came out on top. The inter-regional rivalry was alive and kicking, and France was on top more often than not. 

For years, North American Rocket League has faced one major issue. In Lehmann’s terms, the country is huge, and uprooting young teenagers, often school-age, to relocate them across the country to boot camps is almost impossible.

It’s a question I posed to Joseph “Noly” Kidd and Jack “ApparentlyJack” Benton three years ago, when the two British stars took the export route to play together in the States for Gen.G and won multiple titles and a Major. 

Back then, the only real competitive roster was G2 Esports, with Landon “BeastMode” Konerman, Daniel “Daniel” Piecenski, and Massimo “Atomic” Franceschi.

Fast forward to 2026, and the reigning World Champions are the exact same roster, albeit now operating under the NRG banner. Consistency combined with quality. Yet that’s almost impossible to replicate.

Noly claimed that for European players, it’s easy to move to a team facility, only a few hours away from home. Using NRG as an example, BeastMode is from Kentucky, a 32-hour drive, hardly a quick trip around the corner. It’s a complete overhaul of the senses.

Since the RLCS Open Era began, the talent pipeline in the US has been hard-stuck in Diamond. Exciting, young players burst onto the scene and immediately face the dilemma of being uprooted mid-11th Grade or putting Rocket League on the back burner. 

Case in point: 16-year-old Zachary “zach” Stone, formerly “Scrzbbles.” Having been slated as the next RLCS prodigy, he ‘retired’ from the game at the end of the 2025 season (then 15), citing schoolwork as the reason. He has since returned to the SpaceStation Gaming camp, but the summer off may have prevented him from becoming the centrepiece of an elite roster.

Across the pond, Team Vitality faced a similar prospect with destiny himself, Alexis “Zen” Bernier, which proved the difference. Having scouted him from the age of 13, Zen was brought into the team before he became eligible to play, with the promise that he had to finish school while under their contract. 

After agreeing and becoming of age, Zen went on to debut with back-to-back-to-back Regional wins, a Major win, and a World Championship. Nothing but success – but whose to say that if he faced a 32-hour commute across the US, Zen would have taken that leap of faith.

It’s a demographic issue that is not familiar with pillarstone American esports, such as Counter-Strike, but it has posed a threat to the home nation of Rocket League for the best part of five years, and it’s no surprise that France has taken the chance to usurp them with both hands.

There’s no easy fix for North America either. They are doomed. 

The Rocket League player base continues to be younger than any other esport, with the game’s entire simplistic nature lending itself to adolescent audiences. There have only been sporadic rising stars who have taken a wild plunge, but the geographical nature means teams simply can’t be formed, and its time NA accepts that they are no longer a force, but rather a pool of talent spread so wide that it’s impossible to be competitive on an international level.

Maybe the only real answer lies in a Collegiate-like circuit, bringing together local high-school stars, but that’s a whole new debate. For now, it will take a miracle for another NRG to be formed, and the entirety of NA’s success rides on their shoulders until the retirement home comes calling.

As to who can stop France, well, the American stalwarts of NRG stand the best chance, while the new pipeline from the Middle East has quickly challenged the status quo. What’s evident, though, is that Rocket League’s predominantly teenage breakthrough talent need to be harnessed in the right environment, surrounded by guidance, and close-knit countries like Saudi Arabia, the UK, and Spain.

The future of Rocket League is blue, white, and red, but with no stars.

There’s no place like home, right? Well, the RLCS Paris Major proved as much, as Rocket League saw a record crowd pack itself inside the La Defense Arena and be treated to a spectacle of homegrown talent. With three powerhouse teams in Vitality, Gentle Mates, and Karmine Corp all featuring, the crowd antics were festival-like. 

Cult followings celebrated Rocket League together with pyro, tifos, flags, and chants as if it were the national soccer team, and they were far from disappointed. If we had any doubts about France’s quality, they were short-lived, as five of the top six teams had French-speaking players or represented a French outfit, including all three finalists.

Dominance.

This was all epitomized by Epic Games’ recognition that Rocket League was home, using the Paris Major to announce its unprecedented first look at Unreal Engine 6. It could have aired in Boston. It could have aired at Worlds in Fort Worth. It could have even snubbed Rocket League altogether and been shown at Fortnite’s upcoming LAN in Germany.

But Epic knew its community and rewarded years of patience and passion with an insight into the future.

The Paris Major was the Coachella of Rocket League. While heavily-co-streamer-influenced viewership stats dipped slightly (still reaching the second-most-watched RLCS event of all time), it was a homecoming bonanza, and deservedly so. It launched off the back of greatness, built roots that secured its own future and prodigies, and provided us with the best fans a game could ask for.

Rocket League est à la maison.

The Esports World Cup (EWC) is leaving Saudi Arabia for the first time, and it’s going to Paris. From July 6 to August 23rd, the top players across 24 game titles will gather together in the French capital, fighting not only for glory but also to win a share of the $75 million prize pool.

Paris is no stranger to hosting major esports events. The city just came from hosting the RLCS Major last month and became the fighting ground for VALORANT teams during VCT Champions in 2025. It also saw a successful inaugural Evo event in 2025, and the massive fighting game event will return to France this October.

The Esports World Cup, however, will be a different kind of test. It won’t be just a singular event; it will gather together over 200 clubs, thousands of players,, and with all the attention from sponsors, publishers, media, and fans, after the recent relocation announcement, pulling this off could raise Paris’ status as an esports hub to a whole new level.

When it comes to esports competitions in recent years, there is nothing quite like the size of the EWC. Tournaments take place across seven weeks, each coming with dedicated broadcasts and coverage. 

While most publishers have perfected the single event formula, hosting the EWC poses a whole new challenge. Saudi Arabia has been trying to refine its operations over the past three years (if you consider Gamers8 a multi-title event). 

Paris is now required to make it work on short notice, in a year where the esports calendar is filled to the brim, up until the end of the Esports Nations Cup later this November. If the event goes well, Paris will be seen as a city capable of hosting esports at industry scale for extended periods, essentially putting it on par with Riyadh while also carrying the prestige of other leading destinations like Shanghai or Seoul.

Over the past years, France has been steadily establishing itself as one of the leading esports countries in Europe. Through the country’s Esport Strategy, it has been able to build the needed infrastructure, including tournament organizers, publishers, agencies, clubs, and most importantly, the public institutions to support them. 

In particular, the political support was relevant in the destination for this year’s EWC. Esports Foundation’s CEO Ralf Reichert met with French president Emmanuel Macron, who then proceeded to announce a special task force, mobilizing all government services, including a member of the interministerial delegate for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. 

Support for the industry is not limited to the top level. France has created specific employment frameworks for professional esports players, easing access for foreign players to obtain visas (a very large issue in other countries). This last point, in particular, has played a crucial role in the relocation: given the logistical and time constraints, having players compete at the event is a top priority.

At the economic level, esports events in France are now treated just like traditional sports and cultural events, having lowered the VAT on event tickets to 5.5% at the start of 2024. 

All these policies required careful review and alignment. So if Paris got to be the primary choice for the EWC, it’s thanks to the work the country has built for nearly a decade. 

There is also another element that cannot be built through policies alone: the audience. France is known for having one of the most passionate esports fanbases in the world. Whether it is League of Legends, VALORANT, Rocket League, Counter-Strike, or fighting games, French crowds have shown they will turn those events into spectacles, mimicking the intensity seen in traditional sports.

According to French journalist Ethan Cohen, the main reason for such a strong esports fan culture is the natural connection between content creators and competition. 

He explained that personalities like Corentin “Gotaga” Houssein and Kamel “Kameto” Kebir, who were already established content creators, went on to build their own clubs, namely Gentlemates and Karmine Corp, which were built around their image, personality, and community.

“Another important factor is authenticity,” he added to Esports Insider. “These content creators and influencers are genuinely passionate about esports. Many of them started in esports or had a real connection to competitive gaming from the beginning…They do it because they are passionate, and because they know that if their passion is real, people will follow them on that journey.”

For the EWC, it’s probably the best audience you can ask for. The multi-title event needs fans who are willing to come and watch their favorite teams and players, using that passion to hype the venues. And with Karmine Corp recently added to the Club Partner Program, seeing big crowds is basically guaranteed. 

That fan element also gives the EWC something that Saudi Arabia has struggled with over the past years: organic noise. Even though the latter proved it had the scale and production, it wasn’t quite able to replicate the atmosphere seen in other top esports events on the calendar.

There is also an overlooked aspect when looking at the EWC. In a digital-focused fanbase like esports, time zones have always been a key factor in driving viewership. While the previous Saudi timezone wasn’t too bad for most viewers, hosting the event in Paris will definitely be an advantage for the majority of Western viewers. The most affected viewers are the ones on Eastern time, so it will come down to the organizers to figure out the sweet spot for the most important matches. 

I wouldn’t say it’s the only one. Esports is too fragmented for a single city to own that title outright. 

Cities like Shanghai and Seoul will remain key destinations for the vast majority of Asian competitions. Europe has its fair share of hosting cities, such as Berlin, Madrid, and Cologne. Riyadh is still trying to enter the conversation through its large investments. 

But Paris is raising its status by hosting the EWC. The French capital has been given the rare opportunity of hosting a seven-week event, something that only Riyadh has done so far. If it can deliver under the short timeline and logistical pressure while also recording strong attendance numbers, it will be a testament to its credibility, support, and infrastructure, making it a leader in the industry. The country has spent years building the foundations for this moment.

Now, it will all come down to execution.

Correction: The Esports World Cup reached out to state it’s not funded by the PIF. The EWC is funded by the Esports Foundation, a Saudi Arabian non-profit. But the PIF is listed as the Esports Foundation’s parent organization.

On May 20th, the Esports World Cup (EWC) officially announced that it would move the $75m competition from its previous host, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to Paris for its 2026 edition.

As with any news surrounding the EWC, this announcement was met with divisive reactions from the esports community due to the event’s ties to the Saudi Arabian government. However, a concerning portion of stakeholders, including France’s President Emmanuel Macron, have welcomed the change of location with excitement.

This is a reminder that the EWC is nothing but a sportswashing campaign carefully employed by the Saudi Arabian regime, while exploring why the move to Paris should not distract us from the human rights violations inflicted by its organizing parties.

The EWC wishes to be seen as the annual pinnacle of esports competition, a welcoming event that entertains fans, supports esports organizations with funding, and unites countless titles and stakeholders under a single IP— a true gift to our financially struggling industry.

Another fact about the EWC is that it’s organized and funded by the same person who ordered the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, first announced the EWC in October 2023. The event was established alongside the Esports World Cup Foundation, a non-profit organization responsible for the EWC. Now called the Esports Foundation, this organization was founded by the Saudi Arabian Crown Prince and is directly funded by the country’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).

The PIF is also the main driver of Saudi Arabia’s “Vision 2030” plan, which aims to position the country as a center for esports and gaming by 2030, in an effort to reduce its financial dependence on crude oil production. As early as 2022, this investment strategy was identified as sportswashing by The Guardian’s Karim Zidan. 

Popularized by Amnesty International, sportswashing describes the use of sports by oppressive regimes to mend their reputations and distract from their human rights violations. In the case of Saudi Arabia, we’re talking about the oppression of women and members of the LGBTQIA+ community, the persecution of regime critics, and the systematic exploitation of migrant workers.

For the sake of improved global business relationships and a flourishing tourism industry, Saudi Arabia would rather be associated with fun sports and entertainment activities in the eyes of Western consumers and policymakers.

If you wish to further inform yourself on Saudi Arabia’s “esportswashing” campaign and the accompanying ethical concerns, I encourage you to watch the video “Saudi Arabia is poisoning esports: We SHOULD Care.” by esports on-air talent Josh “Sideshow” Wilkinson.

“From the very beginning, the vision for the Esports World Cup has been to be a truly global platform for esports, bringing the world’s biggest celebration of competitive gaming to major cities around the world over time,” stated the EWC when announcing Paris as its new host location.

“Following an extended evaluation process in light of the current regional situation, the Esports Foundation decided to accelerate that international rotation for the 2026 edition.”

That sounds very different from the wording used for the event’s reveal three years ago: “The Esports World Cup is the natural next step in Saudi Arabia’s journey to become the premier global hub for gaming and esports.”

Although the move to Paris was most likely due to the ongoing war in Iran, the Esports Foundation (EF) seems to be determined to present the change in the most flattering light possible. Not everyone might believe the EF’s framing, but some are certainly excited to welcome another sizeable esports event to Europe. Others have even commended the French government for its public support of the EWC.

“Great examples of why France is an esports leader. Macron announces EWC, with government support to sort visas etc.,” commented esports professional Jeff Simpkins on X (formerly Twitter). “We need more of this in the UK at the government level.”

So, at the expense of losing some of its strong public association with Riyadh, the EWC positions its brand closer to the values and public image of Western countries and further away from Saudi Arabia’s human rights record.

“Long term, it’s probably neutral,” esports journalist Arsh Goyal told Esports Insider in regard to this trade-off.

“It legitimizes EWC as a long-term tournament for esports fans and will probably bring more viewers, but that’s only if the event continues to exist in future years and goes back to Riyadh. With PIF pulling out of several of its titles, it’s possible that EWC will go away entirely.” 

Most importantly, though, none of this changes the organizational structure of the EWC or the violence inflicted by the Saudi regime. EWC funding remains drenched in blood. It’s just that the trail now leads to a more romantic setting. Some have argued that the move to Paris could benefit the queer community. LGBTQIA+ athletes might feel safer when attending the EWC in France instead of a country where being queer is illegal. 

However, as pointed out by Goyal: “The dangers to queer competitors were always very minimal. The whole point is for Saudi Arabia to paint a westernized image of themselves, so they’ll do anything for golf, esports, etc competitors from overseas to be as safe as possible.”

“In all of our conversations with parties in the region, our thoughts and opinions on all of these topics have been met with respect. There’s been a dialogue with an interest in learning about our perspective and thoughts,” explained Team Liquid Founder and Co-CEO, Victor Goossens, ahead of the organization’s EWC participation in 2024.

“These conversations have been approached with a willingness to talk about how a path forward might look like. And partially because of that, we believe that we have a small role to play to ensure that esports is and will be for everyone.”

One year later, journalist Mikhail Klimentov reported that Team Liquid’s support for the LGBTQIA+ community in an EWC documentary had been allegedly censored for Saudi Arabian viewers. The country’s Crown Prince knows well how to play both sides: feign a willingness to learn externally, while doubling down on persecution and death penalties within Saudi Arabia’s borders.

If you aren’t yet convinced that the current regime has no interest in learning from esports stakeholders on human rights and inclusion, allow me to cite Amnesty International’s 2025 report on the country: “Saudi Arabia executed the highest number of people on record in any given year. People were put to death for a wide range of crimes, including drug-related offenses, often involving foreign nationals.

“Women continued to face discrimination in law and practice. Saudi Arabia failed to take adequate measures to realize the right to a healthy environment.”

Not only are notable improvements unlikely to be induced by esports organizations. I also fear that Saudi Arabia’s sportswashing tactics have already taken root within our industry. For instance, the country’s first attempt to partner with Riot Games’ LEC was canceled due to immense fan backlash. Five years later, the EWC’s deal with Riot Games for all the publisher’s esports titles went through. 

I am deeply concerned that with Saudi Arabia’s increasing influence in the esports ecosystem and a growing acceptance of this influence from esports stakeholders, diversity and inclusion advancements in our scene could become jeopardized. 

We have already seen warning signs in this regard, for example, the removal of the “Journalist of the Year” category from the Esports Awards following its partnership with the EWC.

If neither silent compliance nor an open dialogue with Saudi leaders will slow down the billion-dollar sportwashing campaign, what can we do to make a difference? 

As with most topics surrounding the EWC, this question has divided the esports community. Boycotting seems to be the obvious “solution” at first glance. However, the blood money offered by the event is difficult for both esports organizations and broadcast talent to decline. An industry that bleeds money is incredibly susceptible to sportswashing.

Interestingly, in his article “EWC is here to stay, but sportswashing hasn’t won,” Arsh Goyal proposed that critical EWC coverage could be even more impactful than a complete boycott. 

“I think a full boycott that ignores the event or pretends it doesn’t exist still segregates the community,” shared the journalist with Esports Insider. “Coverage that tries its best to color the EWC with the darkness of its true intentions is probably still the most effective.”

Similarly, charity streams and fundraisers held by esports stakeholders during the EWC can serve as “a reminder to all viewers that the Saudi regime is trying to paint an image that you should not accept,” according to Goyal.

With the PIF seemingly drying up, there is a real possibility that fans and professionals can withstand Saudi Arabia’s sportswashing efforts until the EWC disappears from the annual esports calendar entirely.

The viewership numbers from the RLCS 2026 Paris Major were shockingly low. Like, really low. It’s easy to immediately assume that Rocket League is dying, the old esports mantra. But what’s actually going on?

Well, it’s not dying. But the excuses people have for the reduced viewership actually do point to one thing: it’s not popular. And it’s not retaining interest.

The RLCS 2026 Paris Major is still underway, with the best-of-the-best Rocket League teams from around the world gathering in France to shoot balls around while driving cars. There is really no denying that Rocket League is a fun game. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, it’s simple to understand, but the pros have some crazy tricks up their sleeve that raise the hype.

But does it make a good esport?

So far, the most-viewed match from the Paris Major was a Group Stage clash between Team Vitality and Karmine Corp. It reached a peak concurrent viewership of 179,000. It’s not horrible. Again, not dying. But it’s nowhere near the viewership numbers we saw at the RLCS Boston Major a few months ago, which had over 1.6 million hours watched on the opening day compared to Paris’ 800K.

Esports Charts did a deep dive into these numbers and seems to think there is one key difference: Nicholas “Jynxzi” Stewart. The popular gaming streamer was a commuter caster at the Boston Major, bringing the Rocket League esports action to his 10 million-plus followers on Twitch and 6.3 million on YouTube.

Jynxzi was not a co-streamer this time. At least not yet. We will get Corentin “Gotaga” Houssein for Paris, a French creator who is excited to co-stream the event from his home country. This could boost the viewership, sure. But that’s the thing…

The RLCS Paris Major isn’t cooked. No, the RLCS Boston Major was carried. Now that there is no content creator boosting numbers, we can see what the true viewership is for Rocket League’s biggest event of the year.

And it’s safe to say that Boston’s numbers were inflated.

Esports Charts noted that even the RLCS Twitch channel was dramatically lower this year, going from 64,800 at the last major to 26,000 this time. Nobody was drawing people in, enticing them to check it out.

Rocket League is not alone, of course. Most esports rely heavily on content creators to co-stream events to mainstream gaming audiences.

FlyQuest made some cringe video last month that attacked co-streaming, claiming that it was damaging the esports industry. Well, except their own content creators and stuff, of course! But streamers aren’t taking away from the esports industry. There’s nothing to even take. They are adding to it. They are bringing viewers in. Temporary viewers, but viewers just the same. Tournaments have started to rely on this rather than invest in their own broadcasts or create a structure that actually improves permanent fandom growth.

Without co-streaming, most tournaments would see pretty underwhelming viewership. In 2025, co-streaming surpassed official broadcast for esports tournaments in hours watched. Even larger esports like League of Legends rely on co-streaming, which became a huge topic of debate during the Mid-Season Invitational last year. Without popular streamers, the numbers would suffer. (Even with co-streamers, some LoL events, like the LCS, can’t seem to get any attention at all.)

You can say that co-streaming and content creators are saving esports. But I beg to differ. They aren’t harming it or anything. They’re not taking away views. It’s not like those who tune in to these co-streams would watch the legit broadcast on their own without their favorite streamer encouraging them. Be real.

So no, there is no harm done. It just shows how flimsy the esports scene is. It would fly away in the wind if it weren’t for the streamers holding the strings. Esports is just not large enough to support the kind of money that’s put into it. The numbers are all inflated. The hype is displaced.

Without streamers and their fans begrudgingly tuning in, these esports broadcasts would see a shocking dip in viewership. Like the RLCS. The fans don’t stay after. They don’t become die-hard Rocket League fanatics. They are Jynxzi fans. That’s it.

There is a reason that Evo is desperate to add content creator showmatches this year. It needs the numbers. Of course, the FGC does not want it. They’d rather die than try to appeal to mainstream gamers. But other esports titles know that it’s a necessary evil. It’s the only way to pretend esports is growing. That esports has that many die-hard fans.

But the numbers are not real. And there is only so much time that esports can buy until it has to admit that these viewership numbers are not here to stay.