Like last year, many eSports players are moving to other regions. Surprisingly, many German and Austrian players are in the spotlight.
In RLCS 2024, there was already a stir around the Spanish team Mobula. What was still a preference last year is now an economic necessity for many top players this year. Many organizations are leaving the scene or moving to other regions themselves in order to continue to be economically represented. Because: Without playing at the RLCS Majors, Rocket League is a losing proposition for many clubs.
German eNational players go around the world
Both Damian ‘Tox’ Schäfer and David ‘Rezears’ Wünsch travel the world. ‘Tox’ is going to Saudi Arabia, the German-Ukrainian plays in the MENA region. He will be the experienced veteran, flanked by the two 15-year-olds Muath ‘Nush’ Alotaibi and Turky ‘DrKnown’ Alhajlah. They have already established themselves in the region as players for a top four team and now want to take the next step with ‘Tox’. The goal: the Birmingham Major at the end of March.
For ‘Rezears’, the journey is much longer – to Australia. Together with Hunter ‘hntr’ Tomeski and Ezequiel ‘Fiberr’ Aranda-Lovito, he plays for the Australian organization Chiefs Esports Club. ‘hntr’ and ‘Fiberr’ are both familiar faces on the Major stages, and are considered to be from the last season as players of the second strongest OCE roster. With ‘Rezears’, the next step is to be taken here as well. Exactly what the region has been aiming for years: to reach the top eight at the majors.
Substitute Leonardo ‘Catalysm’ Ramos will not remain in Europe either. He is moving to Asia to chase titles for “Luminosity Gaming” in the APAC region. This is an excellent opportunity for ‘Catalsym’ at the Birmingham Major.
Only Riccardo ‘Rizex45’ Mazzotta remains in Europe. He has already fought his way into the top 16 in the region in the first qualifier. This weekend will show how far he can go, but a top eight result within Europe is not unlikely.
German-Austrian friendship leads to title
Not only for the RLCS do players move their center of life. Also, and especially, the collegiate scene attracts many DACH players – with North America as their goal. At the last Collegiate Rocket League (CRL) World Championship in 2023, the Dr. Buhmann Academy from Hannover won. Since then, many players from Europe have been lured to North America with scholarships.
The Canadian St. Clair College brought the two 2023 world champions Fabian ‘Fabso’ Buß and his Austrian teammate Nicolas ‘pzy’ Steinhauser, together with the German James ‘Jazii’ Janzen to Windsor, Ontario. ‘pzy’ and ‘Jazii’ were able to win the first CRL event 2025 in North America last weekend. In the final, they beat Maryville University.
Curious: for the first time, there were no North American players on the field in a CRL final: at St. Clair, the roster is completed by an Italian, Maryville competes with three British players. It is also the first CRL victory for a Canadian university.
Titles for German- and German-speaking players are generally rare. Before the 2023 CRL World Championship, there was only one international title for a DACH player: Austrian Maurice ‘Yukeo’ Weihs, RLCS Season Nine EU Champion. It should be noted that he does not play in Europe “of course”; he ended up in Brazil for this year. The hope remains for all foreign-based players that this new generation of German and German-speaking players can finally realize titles.
