Collegiate esports was promised to see one of their most exciting new events in early October after the announcement of the Future Play Festival in Peoria, IL. Players were looking forward to one of the largest Collegiate Rocket League events held in years paired with a weekend filled with music and activities for all participants, until a sudden announcement was released yesterday.
A two-day long celebration on October 3 and 4 of all things gaming, esports, and community would be capped off by one of the most anticipated LAN events of the Fall 2026 season – the National Collegiate Esports Showdown. The event would be the culmination of online play between 256 collegiate Rocket League rosters, where the final 24 teams would compete on the main stage for a shot at the $10,000 first place prize. All qualified 24 teams would have meals, travel, lodging, and festival access covered by the tournament organizers (Cinematic) themselves, offering a truly rare opportunity for collegiate programs to represent their universities at the highest level.
Unfortunately, teams and event-goers were informed yesterday that the entire festival would be rescheduled to April 24-25 2027, and the LAN finals for the Collegiate Esports Showdown would be held virtually during the original October 3-4 weekend. The festival was to be headlined by a concert featuring Lil Jon and James Hype at the Peoria Civic Center, with activities like tactical airsoft experiences, remote control car racing, and a retro gaming arcade. It is currently unclear how much of the currently planned festival will be included in the new dates.
In a letter addressed to Garden State Esports organizer Chris Aviles and distributed to participating teams, Executive Producer of Future Play Festival Dylan Marer stated, “Our decision to move the festival was based on the low-ticket participation and the feedback from the local colleges with the shortened time from the opening of the fall semester, tight marketing timelines, and fall sports conflicts.
Not all is lost, however, as the total prize initially offered for the tournament of $50,000 is said to still be honored for the online finals. TJ “DJTJ” Stephens for Garden State Esports, the tournament organizers for the Collegiate Esports Showdown, responded in a statement, “This crew made sure to listen to players, coaches, directors, and ensure we crafted the best tournament possible, and I believe even with the loss of LAN, we still will do so. This event still keeps many defining characteristics (…) with all 24 teams getting prize money and a full undergraduate-student lineup of commentators.”
It is not yet confirmed whether or not an esports competition of any kind will return when Future Play comes back this upcoming April.
“It is still a major heartbreak, I want to ensure that is clarified as nothing can replace a LAN, and I was extremely excited to work alongside a music festival and host the closest thing we’ve had to CRL Worlds since 2023… We look forward to broadcasting the event in October, and we hope that even without LAN you see this tournament as a rare opportunity for program dollars, competition and of course, bragging rights,” continues Stephens.
With the online portion of the competition still on, the majority of Collegiate Rocket League still prepares for tournament play on October 3 and 4 and the chance to win a major portion of the prize pool.
