Rocket League dev shares more details on free-to-play update, Switch Online will no longer be required
Psyonix previously announced a major update for Rocket League, which will transform the game into a free-to-play titles. More information was shared today.
Players can expect streamlined seasons, new competitive ranks, and a new experience when booting up the game. It’s also officially confirmed that Switch Online will no longer be required, though that was admittedly expected.
Here’s the full rundown from Psyonix:
STREAMLINED SEASONS
Between Rocket Pass, Competitive Seasons, and soon Tournaments all happening at the same time within Rocket League, we’re streamlining the seasonal schedule. Competitive Seasons, Competitive Tournaments, and Rocket Pass will all follow the same schedule. It all starts when Rocket League goes free to play and Season 1 begins.
Rocket Pass will no longer be numbered on its own, and will instead be an extension of the Season. So, when Season 1 goes live, so will its Rocket Pass and Competitive Season. When Season 1 ends, its Rocket Pass and Competitive Season also end, and Season 2 will begin with its own Rocket Pass and Competitive Season. With uniform start and end dates, we hope it’s easier to track how long you have to complete your challenges and hit your dream Rank!
NEW COMPETITIVE RANKS!
Speaking of dream Ranks, there’s about to be a new mountaintop. Starting with the launch of free to play, a new rank is being added above the current Grand Champion Rank.
Grand Champion will be split into three different Ranks just like the ranks below it. Grand Champion will be split into Grand Champion 1, Grand Champion 2, and Grand Champion 3. Current Grand Champions will likely be placed in Grand Champion 1 (depending on placement matches). Then begins the journey to the new highest competitive rank: Supersonic Legend.
Both Grand Champion and Supersonic Legend will have their own Season Rewards at the end of Season 1, as well as Rank-specific Titles. MMR will still be displayed in the Playlist menu once you hit Grand Champion 1. Good luck climbing to the new top of the Rocket League mountain!
Changes aren’t only happening at the top. We’re working to soft reset the rest of the ranks to account for incoming players picking up Rocket League for the first time. This means Ranks will shift closer to the median Rank (close to Gold III). For instance, when current Bronze players complete their placement matches, they may be placed in a higher rank since they’ll be better than new players who are just starting out.
There’s also a new requirement to unlock Ranked Playlists. Players will have to be Level 10 in order to play Ranked.
NEW PLAYER EXPERIENCE
When people pick up Rocket League for the first time following the launch of free to play, we want to make sure they’re as comfortable as possible once they hit the field. That’s why there will be a new experience for new players when they first fire up the game. The new tutorial will put new players right on the field, and will teach the basic HUD and button layout. New players will also have New Driver Challenges to unlock items that were included in the base version of Rocket League.
OTHER THINGS TO KNOW
PlayStation Plus on PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch Online will no longer be required for online play on those platforms.
Rocket ID Will Become Epic Friends
When the update goes live, your Rocket ID friends list will become the Epic Friends list. Friends you had through Rocket ID will transfer to Epic Friends, and any friends you currently have through your Epic Games Account will be visible in Rocket League.
New Quick Chats Incoming!
Faking.
Bumping!
On your left.
On your right.
Passing!
Default settings are changing for incoming players. Voice Chat will be disabled by default, and L2 (PS4), LT (Xbox), ZL (Switch) will default to Air Roll.
Heatseeker will be playable in private matches
New bot difficulty under Rookie
Merc is getting a new, unique hitbox, for a total of six hitbox types
Rocket League X Monstercat remixes of fan favorite songs will be added celebrating the music’s legacy throughout the years (Presave here!)
Solo Standard Playlist will be removed following Competitive Season 14
WHEN IS THE UPDATE COMING?!
Yes, we’ve been sharing a ton of info about Rocket League‘s next update, and you really want to know when to expect it. We’ll be rolling out an update on current platforms in the next few weeks around mid September, and the launch of free to play will follow shortly after. We can’t share the exact date quite yet, but stay tuned for more info. Don’t forget, when free to play launches, it will only be available to new PC players via the Epic Games Store. Make sure to add it to your wishlist!
Thanks for your patience! We can’t wait to get these new features like Tournaments, Challenges, and Cross-Platform Progression in your hands. Stay tuned to RocketLeague.com and follow us on Twitter for the last bit of info just around the corner!
