The Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS) makes its second Major stop of the year in Paris, with World Championship qualification on the line.
France's capital will host the RLCS 2026 - Paris Major over five days, as the world's top teams compete for international prestige, crucial RLCS points and a share of the prize pool. After the livestreaming success of the year's first Major, the anticipation among fans is bound to be high as they gear up for another global event filled with top-quality action.
When and where will the RLCS 2026 - Paris Major be held?
The year's second Rocket League Major will be held between May 20 and 24 at the Paris La Défense Arena. The arena can hold between 15,000 and 40,000 spectators, so fans can expect a massive turnout as the organizers adapt the venue to offer the best experience.
What format will the RLCS 2026 - Paris Major use?
This top-tier Rocket League tournament will follow a similar format to the RLCS 2026 - Boston Major, but three teams will advance to the Playoffs, instead of just two in the American event. However, the GSL-style group stage, which replaced the Swiss Stage this year, will remain.
The RLCS 2026 - Paris Major will kick off with the 16 participants split into four groups. As the double-elimination (GSL) format is in play, teams must win at least two series to qualify for the Playoffs, with one side getting eliminated from each group. All group stage matches are best-of-five (Bo5).
At the Boston Major group stage, the top two teams advanced to the Playoffs, but in Paris, the top three sides will secure passage to the knockouts.
- Group winners qualify for the Upper Bracket.
- Second and third-placed teams qualify for the Lower Bracket.
- The remaining side in each group is eliminated from the tournament.
The Playoffs will follow a hybrid elimination bracket, with all series played in the best-of-seven (Bo7) format. With more teams making the knockouts this time around, fans can look forward to more intense matchups that require strategic thinking, as one slip-up is all it takes for participants to get knocked out.
What is the schedule of the RLCS 2026 - Paris Major?
This competition is scheduled to run for five days, with the Group Stage running for two days. With more teams making the Playoffs, the length of this stage has been increased by a day from the Boston Major to three days, with crowds allowed into the arena for this portion of the event.
Schedule overview:
- May 20-21: Group Stage
- May 22-24: Playoffs
Where to watch the RLCS 2026 - Paris Major?
Multiple official channels across languages will livestream the RLCS 2026 - Paris Major as Rocket League continues to expand its global reach. Localized studio channels will also broadcast the action to support the main English broadcast.
Official English broadcast:
French broadcast:
Hispanic broadcast:
Brazilian-Portuguese broadcast:
As always, community streamers will cover the action from Paris, hosting watch parties and watchalongs. Fans who want to tune into the Paris Major alongside their favorite influencers can check their social media and schedules to see if they will be broadcasting the event.
Which teams are participating in the RLCS 2026 - Paris Major?
Across these five days in France, a total of 16 sides will be seen in action. Europe will have five representatives, followed by North America with four. South America and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) will send two teams each, while Oceania, Asia-Pacific and Sub-Saharan Africa will send one side each.
What is the RLCS 2026 - Paris Major prize pool?
The second Major of the latest RLCS season will carry a total prize purse of $354,000. The winning team will become richer by $102,000, while the runner-up will take home $51,000.
Apart from the earnings, RLCS Circuit Ranking Points, which will play a part in their qualification for the season finale, will also be up for grabs for the teams. Each region will have a different number of points on offer, and at the end of the qualifiers, the RLCS 2026 - World Championship will see the 20 best sides duke it out.
How many viewers can we expect at the RLCS 2026 - Paris Major?
The RLCS 2026 - Boston Major was a historic moment for Rocket League esports, shattering its peak viewership record. It reached an unprecedented peak of 624,316 live viewers, marking the first time in history that any event in the vehicular soccer video game's competitive scene surpassed the half-million Peak Viewers (PV) mark.
English-speaking audiences on official channels and co-streams formed the backbone of the viewership, backed by French and Arabic broadcasts. Moreover, an expanded viewership rewards program that provided consistent incentives for fans to remain engaged throughout every stage of the tournament played its part.
While interest in the game remains stable, the viewership of several regional qualifiers for France has suffered dips compared to the Boston Major. However, under the right circumstances and with the right teams facing off, the Paris Major could become one of the few Rocket League competitions to push past 500,000 PV.
