RLCS 2026 Boston Major: Every Team, Format Change, and Schedule Explained

The RLCS 2026 Boston Major runs February 19-22 at Agganis Arena, featuring 16 teams from seven regions, a $354,000 prize pool, and a completely revamped format that scraps Swiss Stage for round-robin groups. Here’s everything you need to know before the first kickoff.

This isn’t just another Major — it’s the first international LAN of 2026, and the format overhaul makes it the most structurally different RLCS event in years. If you’re trying to rank up in Rocket League and want to learn from the best, watching how pros adapt to a new tournament structure is genuinely instructive. The group stage alone guarantees more Best-of-5 series than the old Swiss format allowed, which means more meaningful data on team matchups.

Let’s break down the teams, the format, and the storylines.

All 16 Qualified Teams

The Boston Major brings together the best from seven competitive regions. Europe earned an extra slot after Karmine Corp’s win at the Kick-Off Weekend, giving it the largest regional representation:^[1]

Europe (5 teams)

• Gentle Mates
• Team Vitality
• Ninjas in Pyjamas
• Geekay Esports
• Karmine Corp (Kick-Off Weekend winner bonus slot)

North America (4 teams)

• NRG
• Shopify Rebellion
• Spacestation Gaming
• 4th NA qualifier TBD

Other Regions

• South America (2): FURIA, MIBR
• MENA (2): Team Falcons, Twisted Minds
• Oceania (1): PWR
• Asia-Pacific (1): Project Delacruz
• Sub-Saharan Africa (1): Five Fears

The most interesting storyline is the five European teams. Karmine Corp’s bonus slot means EU has more representatives than any other region, and they’ll need to prove that depth matters on LAN. Historically, EU dominance hasn’t always translated to Major wins — NA teams have often punched above their weight in playoff scenarios.

The New Format: Groups Replace Swiss Stage

The biggest structural change at the Boston Major is the elimination of the Swiss Stage format. Here’s how the new system works:

Group Stage (February 19-20):

• 16 teams divided into four groups of four
• Single round-robin within each group — every team plays the other three
• All matches are Best-of-5 (not Best-of-3)
• Top two from each group advance; group winners go to Upper Bracket, second place to Lower Bracket
• Bottom two in each group are eliminated

Playoffs (February 21-22):

• Eight remaining teams compete in an AFL Final Eight system
• All matches are Best-of-7
• February 21: Quarterfinals and Semifinals
• February 22: Grand Final

The round-robin format is a significant upgrade from Swiss for one reason: every team plays every other team in their group. In Swiss Stage, it was possible for strong teams to avoid each other entirely through seeding. Now, there’s nowhere to hide. A group of death is a group of death, and every series matters for tiebreakers.

Circuit Points and Masters Santiago Implications

The Boston Major awards crucial RLCS Circuit Ranking Points that directly impact qualification for later events. A strong showing here sets teams up for the rest of the season — and the $354,000 prize pool means there’s real financial incentive beyond just the points.

For teams outside Europe and North America, this is particularly important. MENA teams (Falcons and Twisted Minds) have been consistently improving on the international stage, and a deep run at Boston would validate MENA as a legitimate Tier 1 region. Team Falcons especially — they’ve been dominant in their regional qualifiers and a podium finish here would be a statement.

Teams to Watch

If you want to know how to rank up in Rocket League, watching these teams’ rotations and boost management is essentially a masterclass:

• Team Vitality — The perennial favorites. Their mechanical ceiling is the highest in the game, and they perform better on LAN than online.
• NRG — North America’s most consistent international performers. They adapt to tournament formats faster than almost any other team.
• Team Falcons — The MENA powerhouse. Their speed of play challenges European teams in ways they’re not used to from NA scrims.
• Karmine Corp — They earned that extra EU slot by winning the Kick-Off Weekend. Pressure is on to prove it wasn’t a one-off.
• FURIA — South America’s best. Their aerial game has been praised universally, and they’ve shown they can compete with top EU/NA teams.

How to Watch

The Boston Major broadcasts live from Agganis Arena in Boston, Massachusetts. You can catch the streams on the official Rocket League Twitch and YouTube channels. The schedule:

• February 19: Group Stage Day 1
• February 20: Group Stage Day 2
• February 21: Playoffs (Quarterfinals + Semifinals)
• February 22: Grand Final

Between now and the Major, the Rocket League mechanics grind continues. The Goalentines 2026 event is also running through February 16 with free drops and XP for the Season 21 Battle Pass — so there’s content for competitive and casual players alike.

References

1. [1] "RLCS 2026 Boston Major". esportsinsider.com. Retrieved February 12, 2026