RLCS 2027 to Expand to 24 Partner Teams and Pause for Rocket League's UE6 Upgrade

The RLCS is preparing significant changes for 2027, treating the season as a transition period around Rocket League's upgrade to Unreal Engine 6. According to reports from Sheep Esports citing sources briefed on the plans, the competitive structure will expand its partner program while accommodating the engine migration.

The 2027 season begins in December with a 24-team Kick-Off invitational at London's Copper Box Arena on December 9. This marks a sharp increase from the 2026 edition, which featured eight teams from open qualifiers. All 24 spots will go to directly invited teams, including current partners and external organisations entering the partnership program.

Following the London LAN, partnered teams will compete in an online league format across January and February. A second LAN event is scheduled for March in North America. The structure of any online qualifiers during this window remains unclear.

The competitive calendar will pause in Spring 2027 when Rocket League fully transitions to UE6. Psyonix and Epic Games have not confirmed a specific timeframe for this break, though it is expected to last several months. Competitive play is projected to resume in the Summer, with the 2027 Esports World Cup potentially serving as the first RLCS tournament played on the new engine.

The engine upgrade represents a major technical milestone for Rocket League, which has operated on Unreal Engine 3 since its 2015 launch. Unreal Engine 6 early access was targeted for end of 2025, though an official release timeline has not been confirmed by Epic Games.