The risk of injury is much lower in eSports compared to physical sports. That it is nevertheless present, however, is something that a caster had to experience painfully.
Rocket League is one of the most easily accessible eSports titles.
Alone, in teams of two or three, the players try to maneuver an oversized “football” into the opponent’s goal. But instead of virtual feet, rocket-powered cars are used here.
Except for the fact that these speedsters drive on walls or sometimes fly through the air when using nitro, there are no special mechanics or rules that might seem incomprehensible at first glance.
Rocket League easily accessible
The hurdle that interested people are only able to watch after they have worked their way through seventeen rulebooks and twenty-three gameplay tutorials is not present in Rocket League compared to many other eSports titles.
HAVE MERCY 😱😱@AztraL goes off in #FUSIONRL on @JohnnyBoi_i's stream! Check it out below 👇
📺: https://t.co/DVSzjjJwAk pic.twitter.com/Xfv64WCJqm
— Rocket League Esports (@RLEsports) May 21, 2020
The easiest way to compare Rocket League with the Autoball World Championship, which Stefan Raab created years ago, minus the hair-raising overhead manoeuvres and possible injuries.
In fact, this sport has now been enriched by an adventurous story. Because during a Rocket League tournament, an extremely curious incident occurred in which a commentator was indirectly struck by lightning.
Shock moment live on the stream
Jaime “Karma” Bickford was commenting on a Rocket League tournament via Twitch when the audience suddenly heard a loud noise followed by a clatter and a scream from the caster.
Over Boston, where Bickford lives, heavy storms were raging at the time of the tournament. So it happened that lightning struck in the neighboring house, which then made its way all the way through all the lines to the commentator’s controller plugged in. According to Bickford, this then went up in a shower of sparks and burned her hands.
UPDATE: talking to doctor, hands are burned and controller is broken.
unlucky https://t.co/ve6sVrnabO
— Karma (@KarmahTV) June 29, 2020
Despite the obviously audible pain, Bickford did not miss the opportunity to comment on the tournament after the initial shock moment. In a later update, after a visit to the doctor via Twitter, the caster stated that she did indeed suffer minor burns, but that they would heal quickly and well.
As curious as Bickford’s injury may seem, it will probably remain an exception. eSports in general is – logically – one of the safest sports in the world.
