Sources: AG.AL's change of plans in Rocket League; the latest news from the European market

The European market has not been without its difficulties in the past, but this Rocket League Esports offseason has surpassed all others before it, for the confusion and standstill it has caused in the scene. The bidding war between the top three French organizations for the high-profile Tristan "Atow." Soyez, Axel "Vatira" Touret and Alexis "zen" Bernier lineup, initially forced many players in Europe into the waiting room. With Gentle Mates now nearing a deal for the trio, things have begun to fall into place across the region. For example, Team Vitality has now reached a verbal agreement for João "diaz" Henrique, Oskar "Oski" Gozdowski, and Nassim "nass" Bali. However, there are still a few sticking points preventing teams from fully forming.

The first was Charles "juicy" Sabiani’s availability. The French professional, like many others, was awaiting the outcome of the bidding war, which his own organization Karmine Corp was involved in. The 21-year-old is at the peak of his powers but with both of his former teammates, Atow and Vatira, moving on to a new project, the Frenchman became a serious option for many teams. Despite multiple teams pursuing his signature, including Twisted Minds in MENA, he has now chosen to build his own squad alongside former World Champions Enzo "Seikoo" Grondein and Evan "M0nkey M00n" Rogez. Seikoo became a free agent after departing Man City Esports, while M0nkey M00n prioritized a return to Europe following the fallout from Twisted Minds’ disappointing exit at the RLCS 2026 World Championship. Juicy’s decision to link up with the French veterans has now allowed other teams to finally settle into place.

There are a number of organizations currently assessing the European market, even those outside of the starting invites to the RLCS Club Championship. Most significantly, All Gamers Anyone’s Legend, who were initially expected to form a team in North America, have restarted their search in Europe, having shown some interest in the Vatira-led superteam earlier in the offseason. They also considered a move to MENA but are now competing for the current crop of free agent teams in Europe as part of their first entry into the esport. The organization pivoted away from North America because options became limited when teams like Shopify Rebellion and Gen.G beat them to the more high-profile lineups. Many teams are prioritizing AG.AL, who see the organization as a tantalizing and lucrative prospect considering their size, Chinese audience, and recent success in winning the Esports World Cup.

Both Ninjas in Pyjamas and Man City Esports, who were present at the RLCS 2026 World Championship, are expected to retain their place in the partner program. The two organizations will be competing alongside AG.AL for the remaining top European rosters. Before making their moves, all three organizations desire formed teams rather than the duos that have fallen into place over the previous weeks. Geekay Esports currently sits on the periphery, having not been invited to the Club Championship so far, but has still shown interest in the market and is waiting in reserve to see if any organizations drop out of the competition. M80 in North America are in a similar position.

MajorRLCS reported the formation of two teams today, including the Cristian "crr" Raigal, Joris "Joreuz" Robben, and Gaspar "stizzy" Andres line up and the Archie "Archie" Pickthall, Ole "oaly." Doorn, and Joseph "Joyo" Young roster. Joreuz was one of the last dominoes to fall because the Dutch professional was in talks with teams from North America including NRG and M80. Combined with juicy’s new team, all three rosters have received interest from AG.AL, NIP and Man City Esports.

Team Heretics, who many were excited to hear had also been invited to the RLCS Club Championship, are expected to sign a roster built around Sergio "AtomiK" Cortés, who will be joined by his Mate y Tapa teammates Lautaro "ajg" Gusinsky and Iván "Dorito" Jiménez.

While these rosters have now formed, the one remaining wildcard in this process is Karmine Corp. The organization’s co-owner Kamel "Kameto" Kebir has not ruled out an exit from the esport but confirmed that Karmine Corp was “looking at every option: either a roster of good-level players who are still available, or starting again with very young talents”.

In the meantime, Karmine Corp has held discussions with players contested by the teams mentioned above, further contributing to the slow pace of the offseason. The organization has also yet to resolve its buyout situation with Gentle Mates, further limiting its flexibility to make changes. However, as mentioned by Kameto, the team is also looking at younger players, including 15-year-old Swiss prospect Simão "prozy" Santos. At the moment, no final decision has been reached.

With a strong fanbase and a lot of history in the esport, the organization represents a desirable destination for the remaining free agents. As a result, the market remains a series of musical chairs, even with rosters starting to take shape publicly.