RLCS 2021-22: Winter Split Major – Schedule, Teams & Betting Tips

The Winter Split Major boils down to March 23. The second major of RLCS2021-22 sets the stage for sixteen teams to compete for a prize pool of $300,000. Besides the monetary rewards, participants are playing to earn RLCS Circuit Ranking Points, which would be crucial in securing an invite to the World Championship during Summer 2022.

Watch RLCS Winter Split Major Live:

The Winter Split Major Tournament Format and Teams

Contrary to its predecessor, the Fall Split Major, the tournament kicks off with a group stage instead of the conventional Swiss Stage.

Sixteen teams are distributed into four groups, where they still play classic round-robin best-of-five series. Each group winner will earn a comfortable spot in Winner’s Bracket in Playoffs. While first and second runner-up teams still qualify for Losers’ Bracket. The last-place team will be the first few to face elimination.

Another change in the Winter Split Major is the Playoffs format, where Winners’ Bracket matches are best-of-seven, and Losers’ Bracket matches are only best-of-five. Lastly, the Grand Finals is also best-of-seven, but with a twist. This time, there’s an emphasis on leveraging Winners’ Bracket candidates by putting more stakes on the underdog from Losers’ Bracket.

Such that the underdog must win two best-of-seven series to truly be crowned Champions.

The Group Stage at RLCS2021-22 Winter Split Major

Groups and Teams in RLCS2021-22 Winter Split Major

On paper, the power gap is relatively even across every group. There are notable powerhouses in every group and several fresh additions in the RLCS2021-22 circuit. This makes for a great narrative, such as having the underdogs upset the powerhouses.

Group A has several oddballs that are worth mentioning. Of course, Team Queso from North America will be the fan favorites in the group. They won two regional events, and a runner-up in another, asserting the power gap between themselves and other NA rivals in RLCS NA Rankings.

While Queso may seem uncontested, another team that stood out is Version1 from Europe. Version1’s early days of RLCS2021-22 started relatively lacklustre but instantly became an overnight sensation after defeating the EU favorites, The General NRG.

Then, there’s FaZe Clan, which needs no introduction since they are a staple in RLCS EU Rankings. Lastly, DeToNator originated from the Asia Pacific region.

In Group B, we see several familiar contenders, such as Endpoint CeX, The General NRG, and even FURIA Esports. These teams likely have encountered one another at some point during past RLCS circuits, so it will be fairly interesting to watch these powerhouses brawl among themselves.

Renegades, although not from prominent Rocket League regions, has made themselves a name among fans watching the RLCS2021-22. The Aussie team has become a staple in recent majors and is arguably the most accomplished team in the Oceania region.

Group C has two noteworthy candidates, that are playing in the Winter Split Major for the first time. Team Secret and Evil Geniuses’ journey to qualify for the Major is certainly inspiring, but they are up against formidable opponents in their group.

Team BDS and G2 Esports are high achievers in their respective regions, but Team BDS poses the biggest threat to the freshies. Nevertheless, Secret and EG’s journey in the group will surely be conversation-worthy if they wound up upsetting the bigger players.

Lastly, there are Dignitas and Spacestation Gaming, which are respectable teams. SSG particularly is a close rival of The General NRG and has encountered multiple occassions. What’s impressive is SSG has won multiple occasions against The General NRG.

Whereas, Dignitas is considered a living fossil in the RLCS2021-22, having won multiple championships in previous years. However, Dignitas these days isn’t too impressive and barely keeps afloat in the intense competition of RLCS EU Winter Rankings. Filling the rest of Group D are Pioneers and Sandrock Gaming.

Betting on Winter Split Major

Before you consider Rocket League betting, let’s cover some basics on this esport and the betting markets available. This tournament is rated as Premier level event, meaning there will be more then usual esports odds on offer. Expect, live betting, exotic markets and special promotions to be active during the event. While our Group Stage breakdown can be seen above, individual match predictions and market analysis will be done daily before the tournament kicks off. We will try to provide you with predictions for each set of Group Stage matches at least a day in advance.

Check out our selection of esports bookmakers that will take in your Rocket League bets, and find the best esports bonus while you are at it.

Finally, our Esports News section contains information on each previous event and tournament played by each of the participants.

History of Rocket League Championship Series

The Rocket League Championship Series is a Psyonix-sponsored league that spans multiple regions, notably Europe and North America. In every season, there are regional tournaments that eventually lead up to the World Championship.

While the latest RLCS 2021-22 has undergone vast differences. The introduction of Majors gathers each region’s best contestants to play under the same roof. Nevertheless, all these still have one destination in mind, to qualify for the RLCS World Championship. Here’s a commemorative list of past RLCS World Champions:

  • RLCS S9 Regional Champions: Dignitas (EU), G2 Esports (NA)
  • RLCS S8 Champion: The General NRG (NA)
  • RLCS S7 Champion: Team Vitality (EU)
  • RLCS S6 Champion: Cloud9 (NA)
  • RLCS S5 Champion: Dignitas (EU)
  • RLCS S4 Champion: Gale Force eSports (EU)
  • RLCS S3 Champion: Northern Gaming (EU)
  • RLCS S2 Champion: FlipSid3 Tactics (EU)
  • RLCS S1 Champion: iBUYPOWER (NA)

Team BDS is recent champion of the Fall Split Major after defeating its NA counterpart, the General NRG. As Europe’s representatives engrave their names as champions once more, it’s their turn to defend their title as upcoming major champions and even the RLCS2021-22 World Championship.