Season 12 is finally here. It seems like with every season the league gets better and better. The graphics team puts out new fancy things for us to look at, the broadcast team gets closer and closer to upstaging that Gibbs guy, and more players experience their first MLE season. So with everyone revving their engines to start the pre-season, we thought we would preview some of the things you’ll see this year. And no, this isn’t a power ranking or “who to watch” list, because to be honest, my power rankings from season 11 were about as wrong as it gets. This preview is going to highlight some of the things you’ll 100% see this season.
Scrims, ELO, and “What’s My Salary”
The biggest questions leading up to the new season all pertained to the way players’ salaries are calculated. For eleven seasons players have been placed in their respective leagues based on their competitive rank in Rocket League. This season MLE is establishing a new system to sort players based on their performance in scrims that take place within the league.
Past players have been given a starting salary based largely on their performance in season eleven, while new players will be given their salary based on their MMR. But once scrims start players’ salaries will be calculated based on their results. Playing in these scrims will be pivotal to getting your correct salary and will be a regular way to play with other members of the league.
This new change aims to make your salary a more accurate representation of where you stand compared to the rest of the league as it will be based on your performance against your MLE peers. Players can look forward to not only seeing an accurate representation of where they stand within the league but also having a new way to play against fellow MLE players. For me, scrims represent a whole new way to show how badly I can throw games so I personally couldn’t be more excited.
3s League Brings a New Way to Compete and Win
When MLE began it was known as Minor League Doubles. Back then it seemed like a very lofty goal that the league would expand into what it is today. But both the player base and the staff have continued to grow and now the league itself is growing. This season, players will have the opportunity to play both 3s and 2s while on the same roster. Teams will have rosters of five to eight players and each week of the regular season they will select a 2s and 3s line up to play. This not only means more opportunities to play but more opportunities to win. Season 11 brought us five championship titles for the first time. In season 12 we will have 10 new champion franchises. Across twos and threes, that’s a whopping 50 players that will be competing in a championship final this season.
For players, this means more opportunities but for managers, it means new strategies and challenges. FMs and GMs will now be searching for players that will succeed on their 2s teams and 3s teams. Some teams may seek out versatile players while others will look to build two separate but equally skilled rosters. Building the right team could net a franchise not one but two Championship titles per league so finding the right drafting strategy will be more important than ever.
Franchise Managers become the new head honchos
As the league expands so too does leadership. This season MLE has added the title of Franchise Manager. This new broader title allows Franchise Managers to oversee their whole team spanning multiple leagues and focus on what their Franchise community should be. Franchise Managers are also able to appoint General Managers to aid them and help with the scheduling and maintaining the rosters of each league. Building out the staff for each franchise is crucial to building communities within each team. Both new and older players will likely benefit from having an FM and GM to turn to when navigating the regular season.
Franchise Cup, Events, and More Games
The addition of Franchise Points to the last season proved to be extra motivation to bring out the franchise rivalry in all of us. Throughout the season MLE players took place in various tournaments that earned them points for their franchise. They also earned franchise points as they won season matches. At the end of the season, all points were added up to determine the Franchise Cup Champion. Last season the Jets took the first-ever Franchise Cup. This season the Franchise Cup returns and gives players another chance to earn points for their team in the chase for the cup.
In addition to the Franchise Cup, the events team will be looking to expand MLE into other games. They have begun to host tournaments for Valorant and opened up new channels for games like Valheim. MLE has always hoped to bring other games into the league and it looks like season 12 will be a big step forward in that regard. The MLE community is passionate about Rocket League but as the player base grows we reach a number of members that could perhaps support other competitive games for a full season. Personally, I’m waiting for MLE to introduce a competitive Mario Tennis League, then maybe I’ll finally have a shot at a championship title.
12 Seasons of Champions Bring new History and opportunity
After 11 seasons and multiple league expansions, several franchises have had time to make their mark. As we enter season 12 there are 16 franchises still searching for their first championship. That is half the league that has yet to find victory at the end of the season. Perhaps more notably the Elite have become the kings of the MLE hill by being the first team to win a fourth championship. Only the Ducks and Tyrants trail them with three championships. With 10 titles up for grabs this season any franchise could take multiple titles and push their way to the top. As a new chapter and a new league begin in MLE, will we begin to see dynasties rise in MLE? And will this be the season that some of those struggling franchises finally get the championship they have been chasing?
Both seasons 8 and 10 saw a franchise win two championships across different leagues. In season 10, The Foundation League Tyrants became the third team to win back-to-back championships. There will always be sway in the power struggle over MLE dominance. But now with so many titles to fight for, I believe Season 12 may be the season we see one team prove that their success is no fluke and be the first team to win three championships in a single season.
A Whole Lot More In-store
There is a lot to look forward to this season. More events, more games, more streams, more players, and more pings in the server which I will turn off and then back on after fearing I’m missing out on something cool. And to top it all off the content team for the MLE site will be posting more articles than ever for you to read and enjoy. As MLE grows we are delighted that more and more people will experience the fun of being in the league. As the pre-season starts to ramp up we wish everyone good luck in the draft and the new season.