RLCS Season 8: Players to watch and storylines to follow

RLCS is on our doorsteps again, and we know what that means: previews! With several new faces showing up in RLCS Season 8, let’s take a look at who to keep in our sights, both for storylines and individual skills.

Flakes makes his RLCS debut

Hrant “Flakes” Yakoub made his RLRS debut last season when he was picked up by Complexity. Alongside veterans Marius “gReazymeister” Ranheim and Joonas “Mognus” Salo, the Dutchman grew into one of the best players in the RLRS, and some might even say he’s the reason the roster is already back in the RLCS. As one of the best 1v1 players in the world, you’ll not only want to watch him for his skills, as they were recently caught up in a bit of drama when Flakes wanted to replace gReazy and wouldn’t get his way. The issues were resolved, but time will tell if the synergy remains.

Flakes scoring one of his many turtle flicks during the Mannfield Night 5K tournament

The Peeps have something to live up to

Usually, we just look at individual players, but with the incredible performance at DreamHack, you’ll definitely want to keep an eye on the Peeps. Each of these players will make their RLCS debut, and they have a lot to live up to. While a few months ago they were just a recently promoted team who would have to fight to retain their spot, they are now the most recent major winners, and everyone will want to know how they’ll fare in the long run. Are they a one-off, or are we looking at the next top contender for years to come?

Turbopolsa smurfs in North America

While he wasn’t the first-ever cross-region transfer, Pierre “Turbopolsa” Silfver is the first to ever make the switch between Europe and North America. A three-time RLCS world champion and considered one of the best players to ever have played Rocket League, Turbo is joining forces with the already scary NRG. Are they going to dominate NA, or is this a horrible mismatch? They already won one major since he joined, so everything points to the former. It’s going to be fun to see how easy Turbo will have it across the pond.

Turbo scores the RLCS-winning goal versus NRG back in season 5.

Atomic displaces a veteran

Ghost have struggled to truly set themselves apart over the last few seasons. This season, it was Treyven “Lethamyr” Robitaille on the chopping block, and he will be replaced by Massimo “Atomic” Franceschi. A newcomer in the scene, Atomic is the next in line to try and solve Ghost’s issues. So far they’ve avoided the relegation tournament every time, but they were also unsuccessful to qualify for the World Championships. Whether Atomic is going to make a significant difference is something we’ll want to see.

Aztral joins a fallen dynasty

The Dignitas dynasty is no more. Only one player of the original dominant roster remains. Joining the formerly unbeatable team is Maello “Aztral” Ernst, who will not only make his RLCS debut for himself but also that of Belgium. In captain Jos “Violentpanda” van Meurs’s own words, Aztral is currently one of, if not the, best mechanical players in the world. A bold claim, which is exactly why we’ll want to keep an eye on him this season. Can Dignitas regain their former glory?

Missing anyone?

All the teams are incredibly close, a point that is proven by the fact that the last eight majors each had different winners, ranging all the way back to December 2018. That means there are many more players and teams we’ll want to watch. Is there anyone we didn’t cover? Got a favorite player you’ll be following this season of RLCS? Let us know!