Taroco

JOINT STATEMENT FROM CANADIAN ROCKET LEAGUE PROS We are speaking out on the current handling of Team Canada for @FIFAe, and potentially @ENC_EN. ​ As RLCS players, we take a lot of pride in representing Canada and believe we have the ability and talent to compete at the highest level at these events. We (Reveal, Tawk, and Sosa) were all super excited when we heard we finally got a team at FIFAe this year. However, the current process led by @Esport_Canada, especially for FIFAe under CEO Melissa Burns, has raised serious concerns, and we are worried this will also snowball into the ENC. ​ We have made multiple efforts to communicate, through messages, emails, and calls, but have not been taken seriously or included in the process whatsoever. There has been no real involvement from players in roster decisions, despite this being described publicly as a “player-first” approach in their posts/overviews. There is also no real understanding of how Rocket League operates at the top level, and those who try to advise are being ignored. This Esport is heavily led by players within teams, and removing other players and us from that process makes it difficult to fully commit. The selection criteria itself states that those involved in evaluating candidates should be relevant esports industry professionals, former professional esports athletes, coaches or analysts, or performance specialists. However, some people conducting interviews and making final decisions do not have that criteria, including the current Team Manager who is heavily involved in decision-making despite not being aligned with the player perspective and lacks Tier 1 RLCS experience, which is the standard they emphasize throughout their criteria. Many of the decision makers were directly appointed while already serving as “advisors” within Esport Canada. This has contributed to a growing lack of trust with us, due to how disorganized and disconnected the process has been compared to other nations in Rocket League, and we hope this does not extend into any other teams within the ENC for Canada. At this level, Rocket League is heavily mental. Confidence in your team and having the environment players want directly impacts performance. This isn’t about specific people involved, but the structure and process involved with building the teams. As it stands, the route they are taking risks Canada not fielding its strongest possible roster, and it is unlike other countries participating in these events. We want to represent our country really badly; it's one of our dreams and one of the reasons why we still play this game, but to do that properly, players need a voice too. ​ These concerns are agreed and signed upon by Canadian RLCS players, including Reveal, Sosa, Tawk, PNDH, Taroco, and Resonal. The process is backwards, and it needs to be addressed. This is not an attack on any individual, but a call for a better, more transparent system that allows players to contribute more to building the best possible Team Canada. (@DawsonLovell for vis)