THE WORLD’S top Rocket League players will be heading to Solihull for its first arena event of 2025.
The 2025 Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS) Season will see thousands of fans descend on the bp pulse LIVE arena to get a glimpse at their esports heroes.
Rocket League is a sport-based video game (also known as football with rocket-powered cars that fly!) and is different from standard video gaming in that esports is competitive (player-vs-player) and usually has an engaging spectator element to it, like traditional sports.
The event – RLCS Major 1 Birmingham – will have national and international significance, welcoming some of the world’s best Rocket League players to Solihull and the wider region.
A total 16 teams from around the world will compete for the first trophy of the RLCS 2025 Season in front of a live audience on March 29 and 30.
A few weeks before the main event, residents will be invited to take part in an action-packed tournament, the British Esports Cup featuring Rocket League.
The British Cup tournament, led by the British Esports Federation, will be open to all UK residents aged 13+ and offer a prize pool of £5,000.
A business esports summit WM Esports Unwrapped is also planned for the event weekend, which will be a chance for key business and industry leaders to network and identify future growth opportunities.
Councillor Ian Courts, leader of Solihull Council said: “Esports may be a new concept for many of us, but it’s fast becoming an industry of huge economic significance. We are absolutely thrilled to welcome the RLCS Major 1 Birmingham to our borough, in partnership with the British Esports Federation and BLAST.
“It is expected to attract thousands of fans from across the world to the arena, with millions more watching the global broadcast online. The economic benefit to the hospitality and visitor economy in the region is unrivalled with the majority of fans expected to attend the event from out of the area.
“The event will put our borough on the world stage and promote Solihull, the West Midlands and the NEC Campus as a national and international hub for gaming and esports championships.”
Chester King, president of British Esports said: “Hosting the RLCS Major 1 in Birmingham is a landmark moment for UK esports, and we’re thrilled to see another world-class event hosted in Great Britain.
“British Esports is proud to support the UK esports scene with our own Rocket League tournament running alongside the Major, providing a platform for aspiring players across the UK to showcase their talent. This collaboration underlines the strength of the UK’s esports ecosystem and British Esports’ ongoing commitment to creating opportunities for grassroots players to engage with professional esports athletes.”
The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and the UK Government is supporting the organisers of the event with funding from the Commonwealth Games Legacy Fund.
This is being used to boost trade and tourism sectors and bring vital footfall to local businesses in the region.
Solihull Council is working in partnership with BLAST, British Esports Federation, NEC Group, West Midlands Growth Company and the University of Warwick.
