RCD Espanyol releases Rocket League team
RCD Espanyol have officially parted ways with its Rocket League roster earlier this Monday, announcing that the organisation will instead focus on other esports titles in the future.
The announcement comes after the conclusion of the European Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS) Season 9 Promotion Playoffs, where RCD Espanyol, Endpoint, Karen and Solarity where chasing one of the two tickets leading to RLCS Season 10. The promotion playoffs concluded earlier yesterday, with Solarity and Endpoint securing the top two seeds, while ex-RCD Espanyol's roster began their venture wit a commanding 4-0 win over ex-TSM roster, but later fell flat against Solarity (3-4) and later Endpoint (2-4).
With this announcement, March "Stake" Bosch, Samuel "Zamué" Cortés, Damian "Tox" Schaefer, Ibrahim "Wolf." Ben and coach Francisco "Arleyobi" González are all left without an organisation and have since teamed up under a name Stonkers. Having said that, Endpoint's professional player Nelson “Virtuoso” Lasko unveiled that the Spanish players saw their contracts with RDC's roster ran out on March 31, which suggests the four players and coach were most likely in talks with the organisation for a potential extension of their contracts under a condition of a successful run through the RLCS Season 9 – Europe: Promotion Playoffs. That, eventually fell through, as ex-RDC Espanyol roster failed to secure a top-two seed.
Virtuoso shed some more light on the situation of RCD and its member in a Reddit post, where he explained that the Spanish team were participating at the event under Espanyol's banner although they were not under a contract.
"RCD's contracts have ended 12 days ago, they are not signed with any org," said Virtuoso.
"Also RCD is a very dodgy org (they were dodgy when offering us as well and also another big Spanish org) like most Spanish organisations.
"Tox signed the contract while he is 16 and RCD didn't even ask his parents to co sign which meant that his contract was not legally binding. On the broadcast they will still play with Espanyol which is why this is an issue with RCD.
"I hope they can just let them play though under a different name or just ex RCD. This is nothing about Tox's mess that happened last week."
It's also worth noting that prior to the organisation's official announcement, RDC Espanyol's former Digital Manager Laureà Folch asked Rocket League developer and tournament organiser Psyonix to remove the former-RCD roster from the promotion playoffs.
"The sector needs, more than ever, all the "actors" to be up to the task, but when the players, often inexperienced, do not act with the principles they are expected to have, it must be the publisher who puts on the board that, above all, there are values, principles and ethics that everyone should have and respect," said Mr Folch.
"Can you imagine a team, of any discipline, from any sector, playing all season under some colours, representing a Team and playing the promotion phase representing another Team and with other colours? Never!
"Under no circumstances should gamers that have represented the RCD Espanyol de Barcelona in the RLRS play the promotional tournament for the RLCS tomorrow."
Folch addressed the need to keep "principles and ethics" in mind when Psyonix lets rosters who have left a team during an event continue to compete, which became common practice within esports. Just like in Dota2 and CS:GO, if a team that is not sponsored qualifies for a big event, it's more likely that the roster will get sponsored and signed by an organisation, in a bid to get a direct spot at the said event.
It remains to be seen what will happen with the ex-RDC roster (now Stonkers), however, with a third-place finish under their belt, they are now set to compete at the RLCS Season 10 – Europe: Rocket League Rival Series, set to kick off later this year.
Attending the event are AS Monaco Esports, Karen (Ex-TSM), Notorious Legion Esports, RJM, Triple Trouble, Stonkers and four additional Rocket League teams, who will earn their spot at the event via Play-In stage. The LCS Season 10 – Europe: Rocket League Rival Series will award the top team with a ticket for RLCS Season 11, second and third-placed teams with a spot at Promotion playoffs, while fourth-sixth placed teams earn a spot at the RLCS Season 11: RLRS.
