The ever-popular vehicular football mashup Rocket League is going free to play, developer Psyonix announced today. After five years as a paid title, Rocket League will be free beginning later this summer in what Psyonix describes as the ‘next chapter’ for the game.
”After nearly five years, millions of players, and billions of soccer matches played, it’s time to talk about the next chapter of Rocket League. The game wouldn’t be where it is today without our dedicated and amazing community. Today, we’re excited to announce that we’re gearing up to make that community even bigger. Beginning later this summer, Rocket League is going free to play! ”
There’s no firm date yet, but the free-to-play move will coincide with Rocket League launching on the Epic Games Store for PC, allowing for cross-platform play on consoles and Steam. Psyonix does note that the Steam version of Rocket League will no longer be available to download for new players from that point onward. The Epic Games Store will effectively become Rocket League home on PC. Why the shift to the Epic Games Store? Epic Games acquired the San Diego-based developer in May last year.
Those who already own Rocket League and have played online will pick up Legacy Status, which includes several goodies such all Rocket League DLC, an ‘Est. 20XX’ title, more than 200 Common items automatically upgrade to Legacy tier, a Golden Cosmos Boost, Dieci-Oro wheels, and a Huntress player banner. All items will be granted when free-to-play goes live.
Psyonix will also use the move to free-to-play to revamp parts of the game and add in some new features:
”The core gameplay will remain the same, but we are refining the main menus to make exploring the game easier. Plus, we’re revamping and improving major features like Tournaments and Challenges, and introducing cross-platform progression! Rocket League action on the field will still be the same core, high-octane hybrid of sports and action you love today, and soon, even more players will share that love.”
Updated tournaments and a revamped challenge system are also on the way. Psyonix promises more details about these changes soon.
Psyonix reassures current owners of the game that their inventory will remain as it is once Rocket League goes free-to-play, and it is also throwing in cross-platform progression. Regardless of the platform, players can bring their items, Rocket Pass progression, and Competitive Rank to any platform via their Epic Games Account.
Psyonix rounded off the press release sharing the news with the following:
”There will be plenty more to reveal as we get closer to Rocket League’s free to play launch, like new features, content, and the cross-platform progression we mentioned above, so be sure to follow us on Twitter and visit RocketLeague.com for the latest updates. We’d like to thank everyone in our community for your continued support as we approach this milestone, and we’re looking forward to introducing our game to a whole new audience!”