[previewyoutube=XVlL-MuTYOg;full][/previewyoutube] The Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS) is just over one week away from returning for Season 9! It's bringing a fresh coat of paint, new teams, and a longer format that will truly test the mettle of the best Rocket League teams on the planet. If youre new here or just need a refresher of what to expect, lets get you caught up and ready for the newest (and sleekest) season of the RLCS yet!

MORE TEAMS, MORE COMPETITION

As mentioned previously, the RLCS will be moving to ten-team leagues for North America and Europe for the first time ever! As players have continued to get better and better at Rocket League, it became increasingly clear that an eight-team league simply wasnt big enough for all the current and up-and-coming pros. Last season, a ten-team league was added to the Rival Series and after a successful and competitive season, it was time for the RLCS to follow suit. In order to accommodate the move to ten teams, Season 9 League Play has been lengthened to eight weeks. Teams will play a total of nine matches over the course of the season. Thats two more matches for each team, giving them a greater opportunity to jockey for position and prove they have what it takes to make it to the World Championship.

OCEANIA AND SOUTH AMERICA ARE BACK!

Oceania (LPL Rocket League Oceanic Championship presented by Let's Play Live) and South America (Grand Series presented by RocketStreet) are both returning for Season 9 and both received a prize pool bump to boot! The LPL Rocket League Oceanic Championship will now sport a prize pool of $75,000, while the Grand Series will now have a prize pool of $35,000. Qualifiers for the LPL Rocket League Oceanic Championship will take place on February 8 and 9, while League Play will begin on February 23 and run through April 5. The Regional Championship will last two days and take place on April 11 and 12. Grand Series Qualifiers (the first two were on 18 and 19) will take place on January 25, and 26. The Play-In will follow and will be on February 1. Grand Series League Play begins on February 9 and will end on March 15. The Grand Series Regional Championship will round out the South American action on March 22. Make sure to tune in to the LPL Rocket League Oceanic Championship HERE and the Grand Series HERE.

HOW AND WHEN TO WATCH

As with seasons past, you can catch all of the RLCS action on both Twitch and YouTube all season long! RLCS League Play will be live on Saturdays and Sundays from February 1 through March 22; with the Rival Series kicking off the weekends on Fridays. Check out the schedule below: Fridays: Rival Series airs starting on February 7 at 10 a.m. PT (6 p.m. UTC) for the European Rival Series and North America will follow at 3 p.m. PT (11 p.m. UTC) Saturdays: RLCS (North America) airs starting on February 1 at 11:30 a.m. PT (7:30 p.m. UTC) Sundays: RLCS (European) airs starting on February 2 at 8:30 a.m. PT (4:30 p.m. UTC) Season 9 is just about to get underway and we have more content, news, and information to share soon. Make sure to tune in for all the RLCS action as we kick off Season 9 on February 1. We hope to see you there!