11 NA teams YOU need to root for
February 1st, 2024
Gen.G
To begin last season, Gen.G rifled through what we thought their ceiling should be. With most fans (myself included) picking ApparentlyJack, Noly, and Chronic to be a middling team with a small chance to make Majors, they dominated Europe and took home LAN victory. Now their expectations begin as one of the best teams the region has to offer and they added Firstkiller. Despite a noisy season prior, Firstkiller has emphatically been at the top of the North American food chain for several seasons. This is the best team Firstkiller has ever been on and this team was put together to contend for a World Championship.
G2 Stride
Rocket League is a game with an unlimited bell curve. You can infinitely improve your game and there will almost always be shots you feel you can’t hit. Beastmode, Daniel, and Atomic are three players who can hit every shot. This team is oozing with talent matching up three number-one options from North America’s contending teams. These three budding superstars easily have the highest peak of any team from the Region and throughout this season I’m sure they will show it from some lopsided wins. This team is great, let’s see if they can be the best.
M80
If RLCS players had Hoopmixtapes, two of the first players I’d want to watch would be AYYJAYY and Joreuz. With nass and Joreuz relocating their talents from Europe to North America, they follow in the footsteps of Noly and ApparentlyJack before them. Composed of three seasoned and successful 1v1 players, this roster will certainly produce its fair share of clips over the season. Many feel that production will lead to a spot at the Major and in a deep Region, M80 looks like a strong challenger.
NRG
I could simply write GarrettG and move on here, but that’s doing this team a disservice. Having already had one of the most revered and heralded careers in RLCS history, Captain American himself can still compete at a high level. GarrettG’s running mate Mist is wholly overlooked. Many slap the word defense on Mist like a piece of Flex Tape, but this diminishes his ability to score as both a clean-up striker and solo player. Toastie has been waiting in the ranks just outside Major contention for quite some time and has just been called up to the best roster he’s ever been a part of.
TSM
Many new faces popped up within the RLCS landscape during the long offseason. One of these players who shined the brightest was Wahvey as he leaped into the upper tiers of the 1v1 scene. Translating this solo success into team-oriented play, TSM (formerly hey bro) continually surprised in offseason tournaments competing tooth and nail with notable teams throughout the region. Now signed to a legacy organization making its hopefully triumphant return, TSM flanks Wahvey with hockE and creamz who are prepared to make another underdog run and prove the doubters wrong.
Dignitas
Gyro and Arsenal have teamed up before for The Peeps and found success. Now entering the later stages of their careers, can this duo recreate some of the magic they once bottled? Alongside young star Evoh (who helped lead Dignitas to a surprising Major appearance last season), early signs are that there’s still ample magic here. Dignitas ended the offseason with a bang barrelling through the competition in the last Bandits on Wheels showdown. Was this their peak in a honeymoon phase or the start of sustained success?
Spacestation Gaming
Lj has long been a growing star within the broader scope of the RLCS. With hockser reinventing himself towards the end of last season, the 1-2 punch has added legacy striker Chicago to the mix. SSG has looked best when passing the ball between one another turning crisp dimes into rippling strikes on net. With hockser running frontman, looking to create chaos and open up space for his gifted teammates, Spacestation looks best when melting opposing defenses through offensive control, change of pace, solo plays, and concise assists.
Luminosity Gaming
When Retals and Majicbear joined forces last season, Retals told the public, “Give [Majicbear] a year and you’ll think he’s a top ten player”. Now that we’re rounding into the new year, time is of the essence as Luminosity moved off their primary offensive weapon in AYYJAYY and retooled with CHEESE. This adjustment allows more time on the ball for Majicbear who will have plenty of opportunities to show what he’s got. Retals is still a capable player with modern mechanics and CHEESE is an upstart player many have their eyes on, but this team will most likely live or die by their X-Factor, Majicbear. Let’s see if feeding the bear will eat up the competition or keep fans hungry for more.
Shopify Rebellion
Is this finally the year that duo 2Piece and Paarth will take the next leap? 2Piece spent a large portion of last season as the player with the most potential in North America and the addition of jstn may be the exact push needed to reach International competition. With this team already ripping off a string of quality wins in the offseason, bringing jstn over from his longtime home NRG seems like a no-brainer. This roster is on my shortlist of teams to make the first Major and should be considered for yours as well!
Muffin Men
The legacy Squishy has left on our esport as a whole feels incalculable. When he announced his retirement would come after this upcoming split, the community watched countless pro players thank him for inspiring them to take the journey towards the top. The farewell tour will bring eyes to see Squishy rejoin World Championship teammate gimmick. Looking to recreate some of the dynamism the duo brought in Season 6 when they’d pulled an unthinkable upset over Dignitas, this is our last opportunity to appreciate a historic duo on the Main stage. Third man aqua now finds a fresh scene having not yet realized his full offensive gifts. This could very well be the spot for him to flourish.
OG
An instant fan favorite who adores playing their games (and series) close. All three are in the middle/later stages of their careers and intend on rebuilding their images after leaving their previous rosters. With JKnaps acting as the primary shooter on the team, the legendary Candian has won a Major and made a World Championship Grand Finals in the past few seasons. Flanked by Noly and Comm, this team can most certainly compete by playing a smart brand of Rocket League and wearing down their opponents. Early signs have shown their lack of consistent scoring pop to have them dredging through series against teams that lack the same resume this trio does, but that ultimately leads to an ‘edge-of-your-seat’ brand of RLCS that few other rosters may provide. OG can punch well above its weight class against the top of the region on any given day. Can they do it often enough to return to International play?
