By Sagar V. Mankar 
Game developer Psyonix, in collaboration with BLAST and Solihull Council, has officially announced that the first major event of the Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS) 2025 season will be hosted in Birmingham, England.
This RLCS Major 1 Birmingham will take place from March 27 to 30, 2025, at the BP Pulse LIVE Arena, which is located within the National Exhibition Centre in Solihull and has over 15,000 capacity.
Ticket sales will start soon, with a pre-sale available on October 28 through The Ticket Factory, followed by general ticket availability on October 30. Ticket prices range from £55 to £120, but the total number of tickets available has not yet been disclosed.
The RLCS has held several events in the UK in recent years, with two recent Majors taking place in London, one in 2022 and another in 2024. However, this will be the RLCS’s first event in Birmingham, adding to the city’s growing reputation as a host for esports. Back in June 2024, Birmingham also hosted the ESL One Dota 2 tournament.
Additionally, the RLCS weekend in March will feature the British Esports Cup, a public Rocket League tournament facilitated by the British Esports Federation. Open to UK residents aged 13 and older, this event offers a £5,000 prize pool (~$6,481 USD) and aims to involve more grassroots players.
Alongside the British Esports Cup, the WM Esports Unwrapped business summit will also be held, creating a vibrant atmosphere for esports fans and industry professionals.
This event is made possible through funding from the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and the UK government’s Commonwealth Games Legacy Fund, as well as collaboration with several partners, including the NEC Group, the British Esports Federation, the West Midlands Growth Company, and the University of Warwick. The goal of this initiative is to drive tourism and boost local businesses, ultimately supporting economic growth in the region. However, the exact amount of public funding provided to BLAST has not been shared.
The journey to this first Major in Birmingham will officially start on January 3, 2025, with online qualifiers.
Looking ahead, the RLCS announced that its second Major for 2025 will be held in June, with the season concluding with the Rocket League World Championship in September. The locations for these upcoming events have yet to be confirmed.
This calendar announcement aligns with recent updates to the 2025 season structure, including a boosted prize pool of $5 million (around £3.7 million), the introduction of one-on-one competitions, and an expanded roster of 20 teams competing in the World Championship.
Esports continues to grow in the UK, which ranked fifth globally for esports revenue generation in 2023 with an annual growth rate of 13.8%.