Longtime fans fondly recall the hype around the first Rocket League Championship Series live finals. Back in August 2016, Rocket League held its first major professional LAN — the culmination of an exciting first season of top-level, car-soccer action. Ultimately, it led to a clash of the titans in the grand finals, as NA threat iBUYPOWER Cosmic overpowered Europe's FlipSid3 Tactics (the next season's winners) to secure the first RLCS championship .

Watching it back today, however, it might be hard to believe that they were the best of the best. There are still impressive plays in the mix, but surrounding those are baffling whiffs, egregious double-commits, lackadaisical rotations and balls sent to seemingly random and even unfavorable destinations. That's not a knock against the players, some of whom have grown with the game and remain RLCS pros today, but those teams would struggle to even make the current Rival Series .

Pro-level Rocket League might look about the same at a glance, but gradual and seemingly constant improvement has delivered dramatic shifts in the meta and player skill levels. Play is faster overall, plus the rise in defense and strong rotations have forced players to get more creative and collaborative with their shots. And while some players have struggled to keep up, others have innovated and adapted, and continue grinding to stay elite. With insight from people in and around the RLCS, here's a look at how it all changed.

Everything has evolved

Competitive Rocket League was still in its infancy two years ago. The RLCS was the first big esports offering from Psyonix, but a community had already formed around the game , putting on donation-supported events like the Rocket League Central Pro League. Many of the game's best players had also logged years in Psyonix's earlier, less-polished take on the game, Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars. But the RLCS put an official stamp on the competitive scene, and helped expand it outside of the core fan community.

Since then, pro Rocket League has seen significant growth in all directions. The RLCS has expanded widely with the addition of Oceania and the lower-tier Rival Series, many of the game's top teams represent major organizations, viewer numbers have surged and there have been several major events outside of the RLCS. And just as the pro scene itself has evolved in a big way, so too has the level of play.

"There is virtually no comparison between the pro game in RLCS S5 versus RLCS S1. Everything happens so much faster now: shots, saves, rotations, clears, passes, etc," said Blake "CloudFuel" Tull, Esports Program Lead at Twitch. He kick-started the competitive community by founding Rocket League Central back when, and then went on to help run the RLCS at Twitch across its first four seasons (Psyonix recently brought operations in-house for season five).

"Players have significantly more precision and intention with each touch of the ball. Team passing plays are far more prevalent while individual plays are less common. It's also considerably more difficult to earn a goal nowadays as scoring requires a combination of finesse, pinpoint precision, strategic movement, and being unpredictable," he continued. "It's no longer enough to simply throw shots at the goal or bank on backboard passes. Pro Rocket League in 2018 is a war of attrition, with the victory often going to those who can force their opponents to make the first mistake."

As we were quickly reminded by revisiting matches from the first RLCS season, mistakes were much more prevalent in pro Rocket League's early days. Standout players then were a fraction as mechanically gifted as those seen today, defensive play hadn't yet matured, and teams often felt more like a trio of allied individuals rather than a cohesive unit. High-level play back then can't help but look surprisingly sloppy today.

"Originally, it was the less mistakes you made, the more likely you were to win," explained Mike "Gregan" Ellis, manager for RLCS team Renault Sport Team Vitality and former caster for Europe's Gfinity Elite Series. "Whereas now, very few mistakes are being made within the game and they're very minute things that you pick up on — so players have to be a lot more creative in the way they score, and have to create chances a lot quicker and faster."

Rising defense

Rocket League is primarily an offensive game, and we saw loads of goals in the first season — some good, some bad and some very ugly. European teams were first to really embrace and excel at defensive rotations, and it helped them become dominant early on in the pro scene. Since then, makeshift rotations have given way to polished, precise systems all across the competitive scene. Those ensure that teams are well-balanced around the pitch, ready to both attack and defend, and always have another player in line to follow up on a play.

"Rotation has developed now to the point where players are so perfect with what they do, so you have to be a lot more creative with your touches to get it past people at the top level," said Gregan, who has coached pro teams and stresses good rotational form in his Tabletop Tactics video series (below). "There aren't as many gaps for offense. The mistakes tend to happen in rotations around the midfield, and that causes people to scramble once they have to go into their own half. It's creating a wall halfway and utilizing those middle two boost pads that stops teams from progressing out of their half. It's not really defense, but it's sort of a zonal defense where you're not letting them escape, and it keeps pressure on them."

Good defensive form isn't just about making amazing saves at the last second. It's also about that level of pressure that Gregan noted, and ensuring that plays rarely develop near your net. In season four, the top two teams for saves in both NA and EU were the bottom-two teams in each region in the overall standings — they made more saves because they were being bombarded with shots, but they also let in more goals. Effective defensive teams cut off opposing plays at the midfield, maintain possession and continue attacks.

"It used to be if you had great goal-line saves, you had a great defense," recalled Garrett "GarrettG" Gordon, player for NRG and one of only three players to compete in every RLCS championship. "Nowadays, if you aren't already contesting shots before they happen, you are most likely to get scored on. Any hesitation on defense usually leads to a goal."

Communication has also improved significantly over the seasons, which has helped turn these loose squads into battle-hardened teams. "Back in season one, everyone will remember the communication of FlipSid3 Tactics, whereby it was M1k3Rules and Markydooda bantering while Kuxir97 was silent to concentrate," Gregan said. "There was a huge emphasis on concentration on mechanics, where now people are so good with their mechanics that they are able to talk very well over the top."

CloudFuel said that teams relied on chemistry more than communication at first, but that's no longer enough. "Communication is an absolute requirement. Comms nowadays tend to be concise, yet descriptive. Simply saying 'I've got it' doesn't really do the job anymore," he affirmed. "Players will call out their position, their boost level, their planned action, as well as key notes about the opposing team. Without a mini-map to assist them, players need all of this information to help them assess the situation and choose the best path forward."

Every pro will botch a play here and there, but we've seen overall precision climb significantly, and with that maturation came a season-over-season drop in goals scored per game. In North America, the average went from 4.89 goals per game in the second split of RLCS season one down to 4.34 in season two, and then 3.69 per game in season three. That's a steep drop, and former RLCS statistician Derek "DMRawlings" feared a continual decline into season four.

But that didn't happen. Defense might have put a damper on offense for a couple of seasons, but goals in NA rose again in season four, hitting an average of 4.14 per game. "Teams have become more creative in how they're scoring goals," DMRawlings said. "I think it's a meta shift, and we may consistently go through phases where the teams that are the most successful are better at breaking down defenses rather than being the best defense themselves."

Creative attacks

Given the rise and improvement of defensive rotations, players have had to rethink how they approach shots at the highest level of the game. They're unlikely to singlehandedly overpower an opponent, and it's rare that a player can guide the ball to the net without a challenge; many of the amazing solo aerial goals from the early days wouldn't make it near the net today. We've seen a rise in dazzling passing plays, sometimes getting all three players involved and teams are also using more of the pitch — and not just giving away possession.

"Players [previously] emphasized shooting towards the net as the main route, whereas now there's been a huge change in the mindset of, 'Actually, hitting the ball towards your opposition's half isn't always the most favorable option,'" Gregan said. "That is why the midfield pass is so dangerous. Also, the power with which you can shoot from infield passes, there's been a huge progression and it's really forced the reaction speed of defenders and the predictive nature of defense."

According to Gregan, players are finding new ways to push the speed of the game and maintain momentum, using maneuvers like half-flips and wave dashes to gain every bit of advantage and not waste boost in the process. That not only helps with maintaining rotations and avoiding double-commits, but also allows teams to put harder smacks on shots toward the net. He pointed to reigning RLCS champions Gale Force Esports , along with compLexity (ex-Method) and Cloud9 as prime examples of team-oriented squads who trust in their mechanics and routinely deliver lightning-fast shots. "Now that is standard," he surmised. "If you're not shooting at 100km/hour, then you're doing something wrong. You're regularly conceding that."

We have also seen innovation from teams and players, who develop new techniques and push the mechanical limits of what's possible in the physics-driven game. The midfield pass was a dominant move used by top teams last season, and we've seen the emergence of ceiling shots — particularly from Cloud9 star Mariano "SquishyMuffinz" Arruda , as shown above at the World Championship — and flip reset and cancel maneuvers.

"Players like SquishyMuffinz and [ NRG's Justin "Jstn" Morales ] relentlessly try to push the envelope in not only how they can hit the ball, but also how they can control and maneuver their cars," CloudFuel said. "Watching them play can often be mind-bending, as they seem to live on the edge of the physical laws of Rocket League. The mechanics that these players have helped refine and popularize don't always lead to goals, but when they do, they're an absolute treat to witness."

The next big unexplored frontier in Rocket League could be consistent midair passing. We saw Ghost Gaming players Treyven "Lethamyr" Robitaille and Christopher "Zanejackey" Jacobs pull off an insane midair passing goal (above) back at the Northern Arena Invitational in October, and Lethamyr has since said that it's something they routinely practice . The meta will continually shift, and there has to be something new for teams to try and master and use to get an edge over their opponents. "I definitely feel like that is where we're going, to the point where perfect midair control is going to be around," Gregan affirmed.

Adapt and survive

Players like SquishyMuffinz, G2's Jacob "JKnaps" Knapman , and Paris Saint-Germain's Dan "Bluey" Bluett might dominate highlights, but it's not only mechanical wizards who rule in Rocket League's pro game. CloudFuel pointed to accomplished stars like Gale Force's Jos "ViolentPanda" van Meurs, NRG's Jayson "Fireburner" Nunez, and Cloud9's Kyle "Torment" Storer, who elevate their teams even if they're not often taking over a game.

"They are still considered to be some of the best in the game and have been instrumental in the success of their teams," he suggested. "There seems to be an ebb and flow between cutting edge mechanics and solid game awareness/decision-making. Players need a certain level of mechanic mastery in order to be a part of the pro elite, but flashy mechanics don't always guarantee wins. Gale Force Esports, for example, have shown that impeccable defense and great teamwork can lead to consistent success."

Current RLCS champs Gale Force are Rocket League's best team today © Psyonix

Over time, some veteran players have adapted to the changing meta to remain relevant, productive, and successful. For example, G2's Cameron "Kronovi" Bills, who led that iBUYPOWER Cosmic team to victory in season one, began his career as a dominant offensive star and was very aggressive with a play style built around half-rotations. But following team struggles in the following two seasons, he shifted into a more of a third-man support role. As he told us in November , "I can hand over the reins and let them steal the show. As a teammate, I try to just back [Dillon "Rizzo" Rizzo] and JKnaps up and let them do their thing."

With Kronovi's revised approach and the emergence of JKnaps as an offensive powerhouse, G2 are enjoying an incredible run of late, including winning The ELEAGUE Cup in December. "He's analyzed the game and he's changed his mindset now, and he's got one of the best players in the world on his team [in JKnaps]," said Gregan. "He focused and looked to improve."

Another intriguing case study is Mark "Markydooda" Exton, the former FlipSid3 Tactics captain and past RLCS champion . He was dominant in the first two seasons, but his offensive production fell off significantly in seasons three and four — and his team struggled accordingly. Marky moved to exceL during the offseason and they're sitting at 1-1 after one week of play, but it's too early to tell whether he'll be able to turn it around.

Marky's decline has been dogged with questions about his motivation to grind out practice and play enough to remain at a high level, but the first three RLCS championship teams have all faced struggles in the following season. Rocket League is a game that requires steady adaptation and continuous practice for players to remain in the upper echelon, and players and teams that opt to take it easy or enjoy an extended break tend to struggle upon their return.

It's telling that the two players from that season one grand finals who aren't still in the RLCS, Ted "0ver Zer0" Keil and Michael "M1k3Rules" Costello, both recently failed to make the Rival Series in their respective comeback attempts. Even longtime RLCS players like Marius "gReazymeister" Ranheim and Kais "Sadjunior" Zehri have found themselves pushed into substitute roles this season following team struggles and declining production.

For GarrettG, who has steadily been one of the game's top all-around players, constant play and practice help keep him sharp — even during the offseason. "Playing Rocket League at a professional level is extremely difficult because of the fast-changing meta," he said. "If you aren't constantly grinding and looking for the next way to get better, people pass you extremely quickly. I personally just try to keep the grind year-round so I keep up with the rest."

The next generation

"It's hard to tell exactly what is causing the drop off of notable veterans from previous seasons," CloudFuel suggested. This could be due to continuously developing mechanics, lack of play time, bad habits, lack of efficient training, or a combination of these things. There's no question, though, that we are seeing far more new faces in the RLCS than ever before."

Every offseason brings a roster shuffle, and this one introduced some new threats into the RLCS as veteran teams tried to shake off diminishing returns and benefit from fresh blood. NRG's Jstn (seen below), EnVy's Jordan "EyeIgnite" Stellon and FlipSid3's Maurice "Yukeo" Weihs are some of the highest-profile additions, and the Rival Series is cultivating the next generation of potential stars. And some of those young guns making waves of late truly are very young (Jstn, for example, is just 15).

"You obviously notice that the new and upcoming players are all teenagers, because it is a coordination thing, a reaction speed thing — and the younger players are always going to have a head-start on that," Gregan said.

Some rookies might have youth and physical advantages on their side, while veterans have experience. But everyone competing today has an incredible wealth of resources to tap into, from in-game training packs to premium training services, tutorial videos, a constant array of pro player streams to watch and hundreds of hours of VODs from elite competition. But the veterans had to blaze that trail; the newcomers can just benefit from their efforts and try to outdo their idols.

"The ease in which new players can learn the game efficiently now is incredible. Prior to the RLCS, players were still coming up with best practices and changing tactics on a regular basis. On top of that, there weren't nearly as many tutorials available," CloudFuel said. "If you want to learn Rocket League in this day and age, the roadmap has already been carefully laid out for you. You simply need to put in the time to learn the mechanics and concepts."

Who will be the next RLCS superstars? Glory awaits © Psyonix

CloudFuel is still waiting for the LeBron James of Rocket League — someone "so incredibly skilled that the way they move their car and interact with the ball and other players is completely innate. They don't have to think about their next move, as it's all natural, and they almost never miss," he said. Maybe it'll be an exciting RLCS star on the rise, like JKnaps or SquishyMuffinz. Maybe it's a player on the pro bubble who is still trying to put it all together and be truly elite. Or maybe it's someone who hasn't even picked up the controller yet.

Even amid the fifth season of the RLCS, it still feels early in the lifespan for competitive Rocket League, and that's evidenced by just how much the feel and flow of the pro game has already changed in a matter of just two years. The skill ceiling keeps rising, players continue grinding and new tactics and techniques emerge — and new powerhouse players and championship teams, too. We can't wait to see where the meta is at in two more years, and to find out whether pro play in 2020 makes us cringe at today's currently-spectacular performances.