Esports is turning into a spectator sport. According to recent studies, almost half of the viewers of an esports event don’t even play the game that is shown, but simply enjoy watching the competition of the best players.
There are many esports games you might follow or find entertaining to spectate, but Rocket League could easily be the best spectator esports game there is. Here are some reasons why.
I can show it to my mother…
…and she would understand within minutes what this game is all about. In fact, when we hosted our first Rocket League event in Germany last year, my mother was in the crowd cheering for different players. Prior to that event she had never heard of Rocket League, let alone played the game. And she wasn’t alone: There were many fathers, mothers, aunts and uncles who just came to accompany their children, but found themselves cheering as if they’d been followers of the Rocket League scene for years.
The takeaway from this anecdote is: Rocket League has the capability to amaze people even outside of the gaming community – and that is rare for an esports game. Rocket League is so easy to approach: There’s a ball, two goals and cars of different color, trying to put the ball into the goal. You need no background knowledge in order to understand the game and that is something that separates Rocket League from most other esports games.
The Veritas College Cup: Proof that Esports Isn’t Just for a Select Few https://t.co/0AQHllNMiS
— East Texas Esports (@ETX_ESPORTS) 27. November 2017
The games are fast-paced
A match of Dota 2 can last up to 60 minutes (in fact the record for a single game sits at five hours). With Rocket League you get 5 minutes of intense gameplay plus Overtime in some cases. There is no room for a boring downtime and you simply can’t leave the room for a second or you might miss one essential moment. Rocket League is nonstop action and therefore spectacular to watch.
It’s a great poster child for esports
Let’s be clear: I love all esports. But when it comes to bringing positive attention to competitive gaming it certainly helps to have an esports game that doesn’t reward headshots. For an original video game Rocket League is as close to traditional sports as it gets. It combines cars with soccer, creating an adrenaline-fueled experience. Even people who condemn video games for allegedly being “too violent” usually have no arguments against Rocket League.
Rocket League is a great poster child for esports and a fantastic entry point for brands and companies that want to enter the esports universe but are hesitant to engage with video games that display some sort of violence. The more companies enter esports the more does the overall scene profit, and who knows: they might learn through Rocket League that video games are awesome. Even the violent ones.
And then this to force overtime by @Mockit_Fairy?! #PogChamp #RLCS pic.twitter.com/6CAITyALIN
— Rocket League Esports (@RLEsports) 10. September 2017
It has the looks
If someone like Faker goes all insane and pulls out a one-in-a-century play in League of Legends you probably only realize and value that, because you yourself know the game inside out and can comprehend what Faker just did with his precise hand-eye-coordination. An outsider or someone who casually played LoL will never fully understand the sheer brilliance of such a play.
That is totally different with Rocket League. If Fairy Peak does an awesome flip off the ceiling and hits the ball right into the upper right corner, every viewer instantly sees how awesome that play was – even if you’ve never played Rocket League before. At the same time you feel even more amazed if you’ve played the game and know how hard it is to pull off such a play.
It’s not a simulation
Fifa will probably never become a really important esports game because it is a simulation (and an awesome one at that). The problem is: You can watch so much soccer each week, there’s simply no need to watch simulated soccer on all the other days. Same goes for other sports simulations such as NBA, Madden or Racing games. Truth be told: We do see some growth of sports simulations in the esports sphere and there might be a certain place for these kind of competitive games, but in comparison to the top-tier games and the ones that are on the shortlist to become top-tier as well (such as Rocket League) sports games are still a niche and have trouble to enthuse the viewers. And without the viewers you can’t create a successful esports scene.
Rocket League on the other hand has no real-life pendant – which has been key for many esports titles to succeed. It gives you an experience no other entertainment program can give you. That’s why people love watching it!
What are your thoughts?
These are just a few reasons to love Rocket League. What is it that fascinates you about Rocket League esports? Head over to our Discord server and tell us!
