Psyonix commits $4.5m a year in prizes to Rocket League esports
RLCS X will be protected "if live international events are not possible during the season due to worldwide health concerns"
Psyonix is overhauling the Rocket League Championship Series, implementing a new structure that will award $4.5 million in prizes every season.
The new structure -- RLCS X -- will feature a series of three regional events each in Europe and North America during Fall, Winter and Spring -- a total of 18 events per season, each of which will have $100,000 in prizes.
Fall, Winter and Spring will culminate with a Major tournament, where a further $250,000 in prizes will be available. The centrepiece of each season will be the Rocket League World Championship, which has a $1 million prize pool.
According to Psyonix, more than $4.5 million in prizes will be awarded across all regions each season.
"We believe this format strikes a healthy balance between open competition and rewarding consistent, high-level performance," the company said.
"It also gives us the flexibility to continue to award points towards World Championship qualification if live international events are not possible during the season due to worldwide health concerns."
That is a reference to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused significant issues for the live components of esports tournaments -- and will remain a problem for the foreseeable future.
Psyonix said that these are "the most fundamental changes" to Rocket League esports since it started in 2016. It is certainly the most significant step taken since the company was acquired by Epic Games in May 2019.