Rocket League featured at 2025 Esports World Cup: Survival Guide

Aug 13, 2025.

It’s the second year one of the most fast-paced esports is featured at the Esports World Cup. Rocket League ft. at EWC 25 brings 16 of the best teams from around the world to compete for glory, championship points, and a $1,000,000 prize pool.


Previous RLCS results matter

Competing teams have been seeded into four groups of four based on their performance at the Rocket League Championship Series Raleigh Major in June. This means that numbers one through four, respectively Team Falcons, Dignitas, Team Vitality, and NRG, were placed in different groups as first seeds.

They were then joined by teams placing 5th through 8th, with the exception of Gentle Mates Alpine, as they didn’t qualify for the 2025 Esports World Cup. They were replaced by Geekay Esports, who, in turn, didn’t participate in the Major but qualified for the EWC based on their RLCS ranking. The groups were then completed with two teams who placed 9th to 16th in Raleigh.


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Protect the nest

After winning the tournament in Raleigh, Falcons are coming into the tournament as favorites. With the added factor of playing in front of a passionate home crowd in Riyadh, it’s clear other teams will have their work cut out if they want to stop the birds of prey from keeping the cup in Saudi Arabia this year.

Nevertheless, the other teams are determined to give them a run for their money. Team Vitality will likely not be satisfied with anything less than the title, as they picked up two of the three defending champions, Brice "ExoTiiK" Bigeard and Evan "M0nkey M00n" Rogez. This time, Alexis "zen" Bernier, widely considered one of the top players in the world, serves as their captain.


An unforgiving play-offs format

The road to the final will not be easy. Teams will have some respite early in the tournament with a GSL-style group phase, where they can lose once and still have a shot at the title.

The following single-elimination playoff bracket will not be so forgiving, with teams’ hopes and keys being crushed after every loss. While the tournament will start with best-of-five matches, bracket play will transition to best-of-seven and continue in that format until the grand final.

Catch all the action on August 14th as Rocket League featured at the 2025 Esports World Cup kicks off.

Club Championship

With Team Liquid taking the lead in the Club Championship but not being represented in Rocket League, this tournament will be a great chance for Team Falcons and Team Vitality to catch up. Both organizations are coming into the tournament as title contenders and will be looking to maximize their point gain, meaning a potential Falcons vs. Vitality final could carry even more consequences than just the Rocket League title.


With hundreds of matches taking place over the next week, new legends will rise as champions are crowned and rivals are toppled. Watch the Esports World Cup 2025 live or check out the ticket options to watch the games in person!