Image credit: Stephanie Lindgren – Esports Photographer (Rocket League Flickr)
UK Rocket League caster and analyst, Mike ‘Gregan’ Ellis, says he won’t be joining the RLCS 2022/23 season as broadcast talent, despite being previously assured by developer Psyonix that he would.
Gregan has had a solid year after leaving Guild Esports as their Rocket League coach in November 2021. He has worked on every EU regional, as well as events like the Fall Major, Rocket League London Major (won by Moist) and the recent World Championship, with the Winter Major being missed due to visa issues.
Now, his future is a little up in the air due to Psyonix deciding not to renew his contract for the 2022/23 RLCS season.
“Towards the end of the 21-22 season, discussions surrounding talent for the 22-23 season began and negotiations started,” Gregan explained in this Twitlonger.
“I was assured several times I would be contracted for the entire upcoming year and I was involved in all talent meetings discussing plans for the season. The contract agreements were delayed and on September 28th 2022, ten days before the season was due to begin, a majority of the talent team received their agreements.
“I, however, was sent an email stating my contract would not be renewed. I have since had meetings with my agent and the Psyonix esports team aiming to understand why the choice to remove me from the talent team was made. The only justification I have received was budget related, with reassurances that it was not personal and is not related to my performance throughout the season.
“This decision blindsided myself, the other RLCS talent and my agent. We had put trust in the Psyonix esports team and patiently waited for budget approval to receive the contract I was verbally assured would arrive.”
Gregan
As Gregan has been left with little time to find work elsewhere, for now he will make a return to content creation and keep his eyes open for RLCS team stream opportunities.
He also said he’s open to a return to coaching, or a more senior role at an esports organisation.
“I’ve had ambitions to manage and direct a multi-team high performance unit and develop competitors to win trophies across multiple titles, especially players competing in League of Legends, Valorant and CSGO,” Gregan said.
“As I was anticipating a contract renewal, I have also invested a lot of time and money into my largest and most exciting content project yet, which I will announce in October.”
Gregan also said he doesn’t want any other RLCS talent to be negatively highlighted, and that he ‘can’t wait to see them all smash it this season’.
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Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.
As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.
