Rocket League Championship Series at the Prudential Center

Last month, twelve of the best Rocket League teams from around the world gathered in Newark, New Jersey to compete for the title of World Champions. The players took to the stage in the middle of the arena, surrounded by thousands of fans who anticipated their every in-game move.

The event was held in the Prudential Center, the home of The New Jersey Devils hockey team, where an enthusiastic crowd packed the lower section of the arena to cheer on their favorite Rocket League squads.

In many ways, attending live esports events is just like attending a traditional sporting event; they’re often held in the same venues, and both serve as the opportunity for fans to experience their favorite sports and teams in person.

For esports, however, these events totally transform the way fans can interact with the game. The nature of esports means everything that players practice for hours on end is entirely digital. Rocket League fans can’t run outside and kick a massive blinking ball around their backyard the same way that football fans can toss a ball back and forth. Esports fans are hungry for a way to celebrate their favorite hobby in real life, and live esports events are the best way to combine this celebration with the excitement of top-tier competition.

I was lucky enough to attend the recent Rocket League World Championship and, simply put, it reminded me why I loved the game to begin with. While I’ve always been an ardent supporter of Rocket League esports, being a member of the crowd totally immersed me in every match. While the only way to watch the action unfold was on the stadium jumbotron that showed the same view that online viewers had, attending the event live was a totally different experience.

The cheers and gasps of the audience amplified the push and pull of each game, and every single pass felt important. Even the game’s sounds that I had heard thousands of times were more impactful; the deep bass sounds of the cars’ engines rattled in my chest as they cut through the air. The excitement building with every touch of the ball reminded me of late-night Rocket League sessions with my friends where we celebrated every clumsy goal as if we were competing for the World Championship ourselves.

In addition to watching matches, live esports events provide the opportunity to connect with other die-hard fans. While online gaming is rather social, it can also lead to a sense of isolation when there’s nobody you can share your interests with in real life. Meeting so many people who share your passion is an incredibly validating experience and is a great chance to make new friends to play with, or meet friends from afar in person. About 70 members of the Indy Gaming League community gathered at the event, allowing for teammates and opponents all across the country to meet up.

The Rocket League World Championship is just one of thousands of such events across the globe. Live esports events continue to draw increasingly large crowds year after year, and companies are investing millions in building dedicated esports venues. If you have the opportunity to attend an esports event that you’re even remotely interested in, I would definitely recommend that you check it out. And by the sound of it, the thousands of cheering fans in Newark would, too.