FURIA advances as Rocket League T12 shocks champs

Rocket League Esports said on May 21 that the reigning world champions were out and Brazil’s FURIA was through as the RLCS 2026 Paris Major finished its two-day group stage. The official Rocket League Esports X account posted the update as results locked in the playoff field. The Paris Major is being played from May 20 to May 24 at Paris La Défense Arena in Nanterre, France, with 16 teams competing for a $354,000 prize pool. ### Which event did this happen in? The RLCS 2026 Paris Major is the second international major of the Rocket League Championship Series season, according to Liquipedia’s event page. The tournament runs May 20-24 in Nanterre and uses a two-stage format: a four-group round robin on May 20-21, followed by a 12-team playoff bracket on May 22-24. Group winners move into the upper bracket, teams finishing second and third move into the lower bracket, and fourth-place teams are eliminated. (liquipedia.net) Liquipedia lists the Paris Major as an S-Tier event organized by Epic Games and BLAST. The page says 16 teams qualified for the event and that the season will later conclude with the 2026 World Championship in Fort Worth, Texas. ### Who were the “world champions” knocked out? NRG entered 2026 as the defending RLCS world champion. (liquipedia.net) Liquipedia’s NRG page says the organization became the third team to win two RLCS world championships on Sept. 14, 2025. The official X post cited in the card said the world champions were out in “T12” play, a reference to top-12 progression at the major after group-stage results were finalized. (liquipedia.net) Rocket League Esports’ post did not, in the material available here, include a full match report, but the tournament structure shows that fourth-place teams in each group were eliminated before the playoff bracket began. (liquipedia.net) ### What does FURIA advancing actually mean? FURIA advanced out of groups and into the playoff bracket, where Liquipedia lists the team in Lower Bracket Round 2. That means FURIA survived the group stage but did not win its group, because only group winners advance directly to the upper bracket. FURIA is a Brazilian organization that fields a South American Rocket League roster, according to Liquipedia. (liquipedia.net) The team is listed there among the top-ranked sides in the region and entered the Paris Major with an established international record. ### Why did the post describe the result as a shock? NRG’s status as defending world champion made its exit notable. (liquipedia.net) The team also remains one of the most decorated brands in Rocket League, with Liquipedia listing two world titles for the organization. The bracket shift was also immediate. Once the group stage ended on May 21, the playoff field was set and FURIA was shown advancing while eliminated teams were removed from the tournament. (liquipedia.net) In a 16-team major where only 12 teams reach playoffs, a defending champion failing to survive groups is a significant result by the standards of the event format. (liquipedia.net) ### What happens next for FURIA and the tournament? The Paris Major playoff stage begins May 22 and runs through May 24, according to the event page. Liquipedia lists FURIA in Lower Bracket Round 2, while upper-bracket quarterfinals include Gentle Mates against Karmine Corp and M80 against Shopify Rebellion. (liquipedia.net) The next confirmed milestone after Paris is the RLCS 2026 World Championship, scheduled for Sept. 15-20 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, with a $1.2 million prize pool, according to Liquipedia and BLAST’s tournament page. (liquipedia.net 1) (liquipedia.net 2)