With the four teams from North America going to the Rocket League Championship Series Live Finals LAN decided, it's time to have the ultimate playoff to decide the seeding for the main event. Both North America and Europe will each have a single-elimination Regional Championship tournament among the top four teams of each region for a purse of $25,000. When the dust settles, these could be the matches that decides who gets closest to the $125,000 prize pool in Amsterdam.
Here's how North America's best stacks up on Nov. 12.
Match 1: Orbit vs. Take 3
While these are two very good teams, this matchup could be extremely one-sided. Orbit has looked very good recently and come in as the regular season number-one seed from North America. Take 3, on the other hand, qualified through the Regional Playoffs coming in as the bottom seed, beating a surging Vendetta 3-2 in the final qualification match.
If Take 3 is to have a real chance of taking down Orbit it will need to come out swinging early, banking on the fact that Orbit hasn't played in RLCS in two weeks. The biggest issue for Take 3 will be the lack of offensive pressure leading to goals over the last three weeks. Take 3 seems to be missing that last bit of scoring lethality it needs to really become a world top contender.
Overall these two teams should be separated by a fair margin, Orbit should win comfortably but as it's the first match of the day and both teams come in fresh anything could happen. Take 3 will have a slim chance if it takes game one and can control the series; if not, this could be a very quick show.
Prediction: Orbit 3-1 Take 3
Match 2: NRG vs. Genesis
This should be a very close set. NRG, the number two team from regular season and one of the stalwart top teams of North American Rocket League, is coming up against Genesis, the longtime bronze medalists of North America. Expect a back and forth with two of the most consistent teams in the world. NRG should have a small edge here, as it has forever been one better than Genesis, yet if ever there were a time for an upset it would be now. Genesis qualified over Vendetta -- who came so close twice to qualifying -- and looked to be really coming together with its passing plays and team coordination.
This match will probably go to five games and every single one of them should be close. If NRG can keep the form that had them finish second best in the regular season, expect it to walk out as the winners and at least a top two seed at the grand finals. This match could go either way but NRG will have the edge to see it through.
Prediction: NRG 3-2 Genesis