Hey everyone!

DMRawlings here with some predictions for this upcoming RLCS (Shameless plug: which you can watch starting this upcoming Saturday at 3:00pm EDT and Sunday at 12 Noon EDT on www.twitch.tv/rocketleague). In the Qualifiers we’ll see the top 64 teams in NA and EU duke it out for one of 6 berths per region, joining FlipSid3 Tactics, We Dem Girlz, iBP Cosmic and the Kings of Urban in the Group Stage.

Alright, enough with the lollygagging. I know what you really want… here are the predictions:

Exodus Leaves other Teams in the Dust

Exodus (formerly Eanix, formerly VexX, formerly Turbulence -- confusing, right?) is way better than you think. They should breeze their way into the Group Stage, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t drop a single game on the way there.

The acquisition of Moses and the departure of Jayyyrah is the big story here. By almost every metric that I track Moses proves to be a substantial upgrade. Whereas they were dangerous before, Moses has shown that he can score more goals with a better shooting percentage, all the while being a defensive powerhouse. While Jayyyrah has more of a playmaking upside, both Moses and Jayyyrah have shown that they can shift into another gear in important matches. Moses will be a key difference-maker for Exodus on their pilgrimage to the LAN.

If Exodus does have a weakness, it’s their passive play, but as they demonstrated the last time around they are an absolute Wall when their cycles are tight. If Moses can integrate well into the roster, I would be shocked if they ended less than 3rd in the Group Stage, and I give them a 50-50 to beat Kings of Urban to end up 2nd.

Supersonic Avengers ALMOST Make It to the LAN

Doomsee. Snaski. ELMP. These are the three corners of the Supersonic Triforce that somehow managed to not make their way into the Leg 1 Group Stages. Heartbreak echoed through the Rocket League community as Doomsee sat on the sidelines, his team not quite getting it done in the first Qualifier. Now SA gets to take another crack at making it to LAN, and I know they are hot to trot to go after it.

The Supersonic Avengers are going to be one of the best stories to follow in the second Leg of RLCS. I expect them to breeze through the Qualifiers like a rabid badger, and certainly place in the top 4 of Group Stage. Once they make the 2nd Online Finals, anything can happen…

But here’s the thing: KA-POW already has 600 points. The Flying Dutchmen already have 480. Even if Supersonic Avengers get 2nd, and the Dutchmen end up 5th again, they’d STILL end with more points than SA. We know that many of the teams that placed in the top 4, are very, very likely to place in the Top 4 again. This is an uphill battle for SA, and I’m very sorry to say that they might not make it (I’m crying writing this, Doomsee-kins!).

The one weak link may be KA-POW, who certainly lost a lot when Turbopolsa joined Mock-It EU. If everything goes as projected Supersonic Avengers will play KA-POW on this upcoming Sunday, and this match will be HUGE. I expect SA to take that matchup, which knocks KA-POW into the Lower Bracket where they could face C&J Frost or Eff0rt, either of which could certainly beat KA-POW in a best of 3. IF (and that’s a substantial if) KA-POW is eliminated, that opens the door for SA. Look for SA to get deep, deep, deep into this leg of RLCS, but I don’t think they’ll pull it off.

We Dem Girlz Reclaims Their Form

When FlipSid3 took the #1 spot in EU in the first Leg of RLCS I was quite surprised. Certainly they are a team of quality that had been trending upward as RLCS approached, but they had not had the better of We Dem Girlz. I look back at the numbers, though, and I wonder how We Dem Girlz, who was completely and totally dominant could lose to anyone.

We Dem Girlz only allowed 4 goals or more twice in the entirety of Group Stage and the Online Finals, and had 32 wins and only 2 losses when they scored 2 or more goals. That’s pretty much inhuman, in my mind, and no team that does that well should ever be relegated to the number two spot.

I expect We Dem Girlz to return to a winning form in the second Leg, though their competition will be much better (with Mock-It EU slightly better and Supersonic in the mix). They may not have as good a record in Group Stage, but I do expect them to romp back into the number one seed spot, and make quick work out of the number four team before battling a very motivated Supersonic Avengers in the Online Finals… uhm… Finals… Expect that to be a match for the ages.

JJJ Prove Their Quality

JJJ Squad is a team that’s peaking at the right time. From the point that they came together as a group I thought they had tremendous potential, but they certainly took their time coming around. I’m very happy to say that they’re starting to get noticed now.

JHZER, Krazack, and Ryuk (keyboard warrior) will likely have a difficult match against C&J Frost, followed by an almost insurmountable challenge in Mock-It EU, but should they lose either of those seem primed for a very win-able Lower Bracket. Depending on how the cookie crumbles they could face Precision Z or Shoot N Goal, who are both teams in their ballpark, with an outside chance of playing the loser of KA-POW and Supersonic Avengers (which would be their nightmare scenario).

If JJJ can play their game and they see predictable results in the Qualifier they are one of my two teams to make it in the Lower Bracket.

Xylophone Zebras Could Surprise

The Road for XyZ is scary. In their first match they face Cynosure (Air’s RLCS team), and if they win they’re likely to face the formidable Lucky Bounce. That’s a very hard draw for this cusp NA Power Rankings team, but I do believe the skill gap in the 7-12 range is closer than a lot of people seem to give credit for.

Should Lucky Bounce take them, XyZ drop into a Lower Bracket where they are liable to face Chemistry and FakeOut Nation. Here’s where I think XyZ stands a legitimate chance. While Chemistry did made Group Stage in the first leg of RLCS, they only managed a 13-22 record, ending 7th. Of the teams to face, I think this is a good matchup for the Zebras.

In the end, the Xylophone Zebras are my darkhorse team to make the Group Stage in NA. This may be my most optimistic prediction, but I know that the XyZ players are a competitive bunch, and I’d be excited to watch them in Group Stage.

Bonus: RLCS Hits 34k Concurrent Viewers in the 2nd Leg

Not too much to this, one, really, but as the stakes get higher, you’re going to see the kindling interest of Rocket League begin to ignite. Certain key matchups are going to draw interest, and the Finals will get buns in the seat. I hope you’re one of them.