RLCS 2022-23 Winter Split Major - favourites and top contenders
/Preparations are well underway for the Rocket League Championship Series 2022-23 - the Winter Split Major, the next major Rocket League championship. Sixteen teams from all regions will compete for the lion's share of the $310,000 prize pool as well as the crucial points needed to qualify for the World Championship. From the whole line-up there are several teams who will be fighting for the victory. That's what we want to talk about.
Karmine Corp
European division leader Karmine Corp has shown great growth in recent months. And understandably, the team has a balanced roster and can rely on last year's best player. And Karmine Corp won two tournaments out of three in recent months, managing to reach the top of their region.
In the majors, the French team will play in Group B, which will also feature Team Vitality, Dignitas and Team Falcons. With three slots in the play-offs, Karmine Corp has an excellent chance of securing seeding and continuing to transform team play into goals.
Gen.G Mobil1 Racing.
In this case, it must be remembered that Gen.G Mobil1 Racing is the winner of the autumn major. At that time, the team showed an extremely confident game with which they outplayed all their opponents without a chance. However the English team didn't have much success in the winter split, despite one victory and silver in the second event. Therefore Gen.G Mobil1 Racing need to prove their worth and to consolidate their status as favourites for the next World Championship.
As for the current major, the team has been placed in Group D where they will compete against Oxygen Esports, Complexity Gaming and Pioneers. Perhaps the main rival of Gen.G Mobil1 Racing is the Europeans, but at the same time the English seem to be a contender for a ticket to the quarterfinals.
FaZe Clan
Another representative of the North American region, who will be fighting for top places. FaZe Clan have improved notably over the course of the winter split, snatching the lead from the table thanks to victories in their final two events. What's more, the North American squad is a semi-finalist in the autumn major, which only adds points to the competition.
In terms of the upcoming championship, FaZe Clan was seeded in Group A, where they will play alongside KRÜ Esports, G2 Esports and Gamers First. The team's main rival is the region's neighbours, who also intend to return to the top roles. Still, Roll Dizz's wards have left a nice run of regional events, so it will be extremely interesting to watch the team's efforts at their home tournament.
Team Secret
The next tournament favourite should be the Brazilians from Team Secret. The team reached the semi-finals of the autumn majors at the end of last year with an excellent performance. Already in the course of the winter split, the team began to gain momentum and won a slot in San Diego with a huge margin.
Here Team Secret will start in Group C, also featuring Team Liquid, Ground Zero Gaming and Gaimin Gladiators. And while the Europeans will have to fight for the top spot, the other two opponents are unlikely to prevent the Brazilians from qualifying for the play-offs.
Matches history: RLCS 2022-23 - Winter Split Major
The Rocket League Championship Series 2022-23 - Winter Split Major takes place April 6-9 in San Diego at the San Diego Convention Center. Sixteen competitors from Europe, North America, Oceania, Latin America, South East Asia and the Middle East will compete for a combined prize money of $310,000 and ranking points.