Rocket League Grand Finals gives a peek at one of esports growing scenes

Rocket League was the setting for a civil war of sorts last weekend. Players from NRG met across the digital car-soccer field as DapG took on SizzleUrCob to see who represent North America against the predominantly European teams in the Universal Open Rocket League Grand Finals in Santa Ana, California.

Throughout the two-day event, the energy remained high and surprises kept coming. Cloud9, a big-name team who’s excelled in other esports like League of Legends and Heroes of the Storm, was knocked out by the end of the first day. The tournament was an opportunity for developer Psyonix, who partnered with NBC Sports and esports platform FaceIt, to put on a show and expose new fans to the game. And it seemed to work: A lot of children attended with their parents, a testament to the idea that Rocket League has legs for a wider audience beyond hardcore esports fans.