*Wakes up from coma*

“Wait, The Peeps did what?”

Welcome to Rocket Launching, a midweek RLCS column that discusses the wonderful world of Rocket League esports. This week we’re looking at DreamHack: Montreal’s fallout.

This tournament was so crazy that my wife let me cast it to the TV and she was glued to the screen and the couch with me. I had so much pent up energy that I had to immediately go to bed when people started standing on desks.

It was also the eighth consecutive major won by a different team. It really was the best tournament ever, just like everyone said.

DreamHack: Montreal Winner: The Peeps

Please tell me you saw this coming. If you didn’t, you must not have watched this weekend. If you haven’t then you oughtta like Tom “Googs” Gugliotta.

The Peeps really went out and WON A MAJOR. Wow, DreamHack: Montreal was wild. What a miracle for the little bird dudes. It’s extra hilarious because this goofy team called The Peeps beat the most Serious Gamer Guy org with a samurai as its logo, G2. Complete opposite ends of the spectrum there.

Now’s as good a time as any to switch to the Fennec, especially after what Jirair “Gyro” Papazian did this weekend. My man was floating like a Volkswagon and stinging like a Beamer out there, man. So much control and precision in his flight on Sunday.

Slater “retals” Thomas is going to become one of those names you won’t have to look up on Liquipedia anymore. He’s nuts, full of swagger and just showed how dangerous he can be. I love watching him play and behave like a gladiator who just murdered a lion.

Nick “mist” Costello played well, too. I’m scared that he meant too much to Birds and the Beez and that they’ll be in trouble without him. He found a niche very quickly and this team’s talent is distributed very evenly. Definitely a team to watch in Season 8.

If they can’t convince an org after this, then Psyonix will be very nervous about attracting new orgs.

DreamHack: Montreal Loser: G2 Esports

Poor, G2. No matter how you spin it, they are on the outside looking in again. Maybe among each other they say only the RLCS matters. Okay, fine, I’ll try and spin it.

I am convinced that they would have won the World Championship if Victor “Fairy Peak” Locquet didn’t leap through several flaming hoops to keep the ball alive at zero seconds in the Grand Final of the World Championship.

The entire crowd was behind them, Jacob “JKnaps” Knapman was out of his mind and it seemed right that an NA team win another at another NA World Championship.

Then Fairy Peak pulled off one of the filthiest low air-drags in history. Now they have to deal with battling back from being down 3-1 only to have Gyro and Retals rip their throats out. Just as John “Johnnyboi_i” Macdonald shouted in Game 7: “BLOODBATH.”

Oh, shoutcasters. I’ll forever worship you and the goofy stuff you say.

Anyway, The Peeps run to the Grand Final was a lot like G2’s run to the Grand Final back in June. The bracket broke well for them, both escaped a very close confrontation before the Grand Final (PSG for G2, Mouz and Vitality for The Peeps) and both had the crowd on their side.

The only difference is that The Peeps conquered Vitality and kept it going against G2. G2 were supposed to be the Vitality-like heel to The Peeps’ hero, but the Rocket League gods said, “Nay.” It sucks, but sometimes the magic picks someone else. Typically it’s someone who uses a Fennec.

DreamHack: Montreal Loser: FC Barcelona

I bet Euan “Tadpole” Ingram and Dion “Base” Rees-Harris were laughing their Welsh butts off this weekend. Barca had made top eight at every DreamHack this season and then they added Aldin “Ronaky” Hodzic. You do the math.

Just kidding. There will be a slight drop off in production, but I think David “Deevo” Morrow and Dan “Bluey” Bluett can take on bigger roles. Both are experienced and talented.

I chalk this up to a small chemistry bump on the road to a successful team. Ronaky may have enraged a few of his friends, but that doesn’t take away from his quality on the field.

He led EU in Shots per Game and could have even more chances to score on his new team. I don’t think this result will pull the team apart like it did Spacestation.

You just can’t judge a team by its first tournament. FC Barcelona will be fine, and if not they’ll just buy The Peeps or something. They can afford it since they saved all that money on Neymar.

DreamHack: Montreal Winner: GC AURA

Man, I can’t wait for these dudes to bomb out of the Rival Series qualifiers like our old friends Team Echo Zulu. Just kidding, they won’t… Unless?

My big worry coming into this tournament was that the so-called “DreamHack magic” had run dry. Cloud9 kind of just strolled to the last championship, Reciprocity had been reaching top fours like it was nothing and Dignitas still had Pierre “Turbopolsa” Silfver.

Then The Peeps and GC Aura Esports came and smacked that nonsense out of me. Marten “Oscillon” van Zee is a baller who just hadn’t found the right team. Maik “Tigreee” Hoffmann is so nice that he gave Linus “al0t” Mollergren and Jack “Speed” Packwood-Clarke his ORG. Alex “Extra” Paoli is French.

Of course they’d do well. They pleased the Rocket League gods’ most strict requirements (you have to have someone French or a Fennec user, sorry I don’t make the rules if you have both you get double magic a la Chausette45).

Then in Echo Zulu fashion, they got trounced by a real opponent. NRG didn’t even let them keep it interesting. Turbopolsa is scary good.

That doesn’t diminish their run any. The beat TSM twice (see above meme), Mousesports and Complexity without DROPPING A SINGLE SERIES. G2 and Cloud9 were the only other teams who avoided the loser’s bracket.

(Quick, super interesting sidenote: Cloud9 only dropped to the loser’s bracket one time in 2019 DreamHack events. It was against Savage! in what was likely their introduction to Yanis “Alpha54” Champenois.)

I love you, GC Aura. Please make the Rival Series. You have two extra chances this time around.

DreamHack: Montreal Loser: TSM

Winner: SAM/Asia Loser: OCE

Now, I know 1Ne eSports literally did not win a single game at this tournament, but they will forever be the first Asian team to play in a Rocket League major. That’s rad, especially since Psyonix isn’t acknowledging their existence at the RLCS level as of yet.

So brief round of applause to Thrishernn “Misty” Raaj, Yukito “Kanra” Nishikawa and especially Shogo “ReaLize” Ikeyam who was killing it on Twitter this weekend. You’ve got a fan in me.

South America on the other hand, sent Lotus to Day 2 and missed out on Day 3 by just two games. There’s no shame in losing to NRG and Dignitas. The crazy thing is I’m not even sure they’re the best team in South America right now. You’re telling me Caio “CaioTG1” Vinicius and Gabriel “Caard” Vieira are going to be on the same team? I know where my fantasy dollars are going.

The region started consolidating talent early on, so they’ll continue to compete at World Championships, but may be in trouble two years from now.

OCE can tell them from experience. Once again no OCE team advanced to Day 2. In fact Renegades didn’t even advance to Day 1 and had to cancel. The travel is so tough out there.

That doesn’t change the fact that the region is drowning in its own lack of results. Maybe Matthew “Drippay” Den-kaat can save them, but they’re in rough shape, mate. Better put on another 5,000 thread count Egyptian shirt and get on the grind because Caard and Caio are going to pass them soon.

Loser: Scrub Killa

I could also explain this one in just one picture, but I won’t this time.

While parity paws at Grand Finals, Vitality continue to get stronger. I fear no team more than Vitality or NRG in a League Play setting. I’d feel the exact same way in a World Championship.

Now, I don’t mean to #SleepOnThePeeps, but they aren’t going to the World Championship. Cloud9, G2 and Reciprocity are looking mean and are well documented LAN-boiis, but I think Vitality and NRG are the class of the game right now.

That’s not to say upsets can’t happen. If monumental upsets happen in 90 minute soccer matches, then anything can happen in a 35 minute sample size. Especially if you divide up those moments into five minutes games.

I love watching these teams, so I pray they all make top eight at Worlds. In my eyes they’re locks to make top eight. NRG, Vitality, C9, Reciprocity and G2 only leave three seats at the table. Who will stake their claim? TSM? The Peeps? Rogue? Mousesports? Dignitas? Spacestation? An OCE team (lol)?

Scrub and Vitality did indeed lose, but it took a random team pinch into their own net to do it. This game is random, but over a season-long sample size my money is on Vitality and NRG.

Featured image courtesy of Stephanie ”Vexanie” Lindgren for DreamHack: Montreal .

Follow me on Twitter: @connorssanders.

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