New BMW M240i lifts off in Rocket League – BMW Freestyle Tournament and BMW Rocket League Open as highlights.

Munich. From 4th November, BMW Esports is giving the global Rocket League community the unique opportunity to lift off virtually with the new BMW M240i (combined consumption 8.8 – 8.1 l/100 km according to WLTP, combined CO₂ emissions: 200 – 185 g/km according to WLTP) in the action-packed video game, before the car is launched. From Thursday, the car will be available to all gamers to purchase for a whole week. In the BMW Freestyle Tournament, 25,000 US dollars are up for grabs, while in the BMW Rocket League Open the top European Rocket League pros will do battle for the win and a total prize fund of 100,000 US dollars.

Rocket League, developed by US company Psyonix, offers a unique hybrid of arcade football and action-packed driving pleasure – making it the perfect fit for the dynamic, extroverted BMW M240i. Cars that can drive, jump and even fly, require a high level of gaming intelligence, strategic thinking and fast reactions.

“Flying, rocket-powered cars that you can play football with is something that I dreamed about when I was young,” said Stefan Ponikva, VP BMW Brand Communication and Experience. “Rocket League makes this dream come true for its huge community. The virtual Rocket League arenas are the perfect playground for a young target audience enthusiastic about the digital world – and therefore for BMW Esports as well. For the first time, we are bringing our own car to the pitch. The driving characteristics of the new BMW M240i make it a brilliant fit for Rocket League and Esports as a whole. We’re also supplying cool designs and additional in-game items in collaboration with Psyonix. I’m confident that Rocket League gamers – both amateurs and pros alike – will have a great deal of fun with the car.”

BMW Esports is Title Sponsor of the BMW Rocket League Open, one of the most important events in the Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS) on 6th and 7th November. The BMW Freestyle Tournament gets underway on 4th November, in which invited contestants go head to head in knock-out rounds, exclusively with the virtual BMW M240i. The winner of the tournament, who will be determined as part of the BMW Rocket League Open programme, will receive 10,000 US dollars out of the overall 25,000 US dollar total prize pool for the event. The community has a week (4th to 10th November) to purchase the virtual version of the new BMW M240i sporting the ‘United in Rivalry’ livery for thrilling Rocket League matches.

As the top model in the BMW 2 Series, the BMW M240i impresses with its vehicle concept that is consistently geared towards dynamism, its athletic, extroverted design, powerful engines and high-quality chassis technology. The compact, agile two-door car appeals to exactly the young target audience that has a strong representation in the Rocket League community. The BMW M240i has an in-line six-cylinder petrol engine with 275kW/374bhp. Rocket propulsion is only available as standard in the virtual version for the moment.

The BMW Freestyle Tournament will be shown live on the BMW Esports Twitch channel on 4th November from 18:00 CET: www.twitch.tv/bmwesports.

About BMW Esports.

BMW has been collaborating with five of the world’s best teams as a partner in the classic League of Legends game since 2020. Cloud 9, FNATIC, FunPlus Phoenix, G2 Esports and T1 fly the BMW colours in the biggest events in the industry. The highlight of the first collaborative season in 2020 was the Worlds, in which G2 esports and FNATIC made it to the knock-out stage of the finals in the battle of the world’s best teams. G2 Esports even made it to the semi-final. The Dota 2 specialists OG Esports are a new addition to the ‘United in Rivalry’ squad as of 2021. The involvement in Esports gives BMW completely new touch points with a dynamic, rapidly growing community; making Esports an important future field for BMW marketing activities. BMW has prominent representatives in sim racing as well, and has integrated BMW SIM Racing into its racing programme as a standalone pillar. The BMW SIM Cups attract the world’s best sim racers, who do battle for wins, titles and attractive cash prizes in virtual BMW racing cars. BMW SIM Racing teams are taking part for the first time in 2021. BS+COMPETITION, G2 Esports, Team GB and Team Redline represent BMW on various simulation platforms.

The BMW Group

With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production network comprises 31 production and assembly facilities in 15 countries; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries. In 2020, the BMW Group sold over 2.3 million passenger vehicles and more than 169,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2020 was € 5.222 billion on revenues amounting to € 98.990 billion. As of 31 December 2020, the BMW Group had a workforce of 120,726 employees. The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company set the course for the future at an early stage and consistently makes sustainability and efficient resource management central to its strategic direction, from the supply chain through production to the end of the use phase of all products.

About Rocket League

Winner or nominee of more than 150 “Game of the Year” awards, Rocket League is one of the most critically-acclaimed sports games of our generation. Rocket League is a high-powered hybrid of arcade-style soccer and vehicular mayhem with easy-to-understand controls and fluid, physics-driven competition. Available on Nintendo Switch™, PlayStation^®4, PlayStation^®5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on Epic Games Store, Rocket League includes nearly endless customization possibilities, a fully-featured offline season mode, multiple game types, casual and competitive online matches, and special “Mutators” that let you change the rules entirely.

To learn more about Rocket League, please visit www.RocketLeague.com.

About Psyonix™

Based in San Diego, CA, Psyonix is a critically-acclaimed video game developer and a leading expert in Unreal Engine technology. For more than 15 years, the studio has been a driving force behind some of the most successful games in the industry, including Gears of War, Mass Effect 3, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, Bulletstorm, Unreal Tournament III, Unreal Tournament 2004, and the award-winning Sports-Action hit, Rocket League^®. Psyonix joined the Epic Games family in 2019.