When taking a look at competitive Rocket League - or eSports as a whole - it’s important to remember the roots of the journey. Where each player started, matured, developed and paved their way to success is often a collection of memories we’re all fond of; with that being said, those times are also some of the hardest times for the up-and-coming pro player. Finding their feet, discovering what their key strengths and weaknesses are, creating or finding a team that matches well and developing chemistry - these times can often be the most challenging for players who only dream of becoming a competitive gamer at an international level.
Wherever you look, there’s always an open door for an existing professional player to compete; whether that’s for a large sum of money or some small in-the-pocket cash, there’s always an opportunity for a professional player to make use of their talents. Because of this, it’s hard for the upcoming talents of a new generation of players to really break out into the professional scene properly - and that’s why the new VN League is something that semi-professional teams and players alike should be looking to participate in.
The new VN League by Vapour eSports is a competitive league for semi-professional teams, with the aim of providing them a foundational platform to build from, a step in the door for the competitive Rocket League scene, and some money on the side to take away. With a great intention in mind, it’s hard to comprehend that the VN League is the first league provided by Vapour eSports; running primarily like the Throwdown RLCS League Play, it’s an incredible chance for the administration behind the Vapour eSports organisation to learn how this community handles such events, and how they can improve the events in the coming years.
The VN League opened up a few weeks ago with a good set of Open Qualifiers - however, these open qualifiers were a new form of ‘open’, as entry was only available to teams that did not qualify for the Throwdown RLCS League Play. In a direct quote from Bentz, the head administrator and founder of Vapour eSports, their main aim was to ‘give these teams an opportunity to play in a league environment, and we hope that they can develop into more stable teams to help fill out the volatile and often unstable 9th-16th OCE Power Rankings teams’. Here are the teams who are competing in the VN League.
Lynx
Sammy, Delusion, Snares, Blu3y
Cl4rity eSports Club
EdgEdK, Thelulz, Azora, Ryful, Cal4mar1
Feint
Tulendeena, Flawe, Myst, Yeatzy
Deft
Ceeva, Justice Robo, Zebra, Change
Battle Car United
Coop0, Sillyspzegoat, Major, Amajorseven, LuckyLuke
Extricity
Lemon, Beezo, Golde, Calstar, Engo
Square One
Tootle, Luis, SSteevo, EyeDeeKay
Guardian
Axle, Dyns3y, Picketts, Dexsharp
With such great intentions, it’s clear why this league has caught the attention and praise of some of the more notable in the OCE community. While this might be Vapour’s first competitive league, they’re definitely an organisation to keep your eyes focused on the coming future - with ideas like this, the grit to attempt such virtuosic ideas, and the ability to provide a gripping level of entertainment - there’s no telling where Vapour eSports will be in the coming years.