Rocket League developer Psyonix is increasing the prize pool of the Regional Championships of the Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS) by US$250,000 following the cancellation of the game’s Season 9 World Championship live event due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
The additional prize money will be split among the four regions that were set to compete at the World Championship. The North American and European leagues will both get an additional US$100,000 while the South American and Oceanian leagues both receive an additional US$25,000.
The additional prize money for North America and Europe will be split among the top four teams in each regional league that would have qualified for the World Championship.
Here’s how prize pools now look with the additional US$100,000 distributed for North America and Europe:
- First Place: US$70,000
- Second Place: US$40,000
- Tied for Third Place: US$16,500
Meanwhile, the additional prize money of US$25,000 for South America and Oceania will be split among the top two teams from each regional league.
Oceania:
- First Place: US$37,500
- Second Place: US$24,000
South America:
- First Place: US$23,000
- Second Place: US$17,000
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With the boosted prize pools, Psyonix noted that the Season 9 Regional Championships will be the biggest and most important ones that Rocket League will hold.
“Just because there won’t be a World Championship doesn’t mean the world’s most exciting esport comes to a stop,” said Psyonix in a statement.
The global esports industry has been heavily disrupted by the COVID-19 outbreak. Various tournaments, as well as two major developer conferences, have already been postponed or canceled as organizers have opted to take precautionary measures against the widespread health threat.
Meanwhile, members the gaming community have been actively initiating efforts to support those already affected by the outbreak.
You can check our list of events and leagues that have been cancelled or postponed by the outbreak.
READ MORE: Rocket League World Championship is the latest tournament canceled due to COVID-19
