History of Rocket League in Timeline
Rocket League, released in 2015 by Psyonix, is a vehicular soccer video game where players control rocket-powered cars to hit a ball into the opponent's goal. Matches involve up to eight players split into two teams. The game offers both single-player and multiplayer modes, supporting local and online play. A key feature is cross-platform play, allowing players on different systems to compete together. It is a sequel to Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars.
1972: Heatseeker Compared to Pong
In May 2020, when the Heatseeker mode was introduced to Rocket League, it drew comparisons to the 1972 table tennis sports game Pong.
2003: Onslaught Mode Modified for Unreal Tournament 2003
In 2003, Psyonix' founder modified the vehicle-based gameplay in Unreal Tournament 2003 into a new game mode called Onslaught.
2004: Onslaught Mode Incorporated into Unreal Tournament 2004
In 2004, Psyonix' founder was hired by Epic Games to incorporate the Onslaught mode as an official part of Unreal Tournament 2004.
2008: Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars Developed
In 2008, Psyonix developed Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars for the PlayStation 3.
2011: Unsuccessful Pitch to Electronic Arts
In 2011, Psyonix had an unsuccessful attempt at pitching the idea for Rocket League to Electronic Arts.
2013: Formal Development of Rocket League Began
Around 2013, Psyonix started formal development of Rocket League, refining gameplay from Battle-Cars based on criticism and fan input.
February 2014: Rocket League Officially Announced
In February 2014, Rocket League was officially announced as the sequel to Battle-Cars. Psyonix adopted a new marketing strategy, engaging with YouTube and Twitch streamers and utilizing early alpha and beta testing to build hype, differing from the approach used with Battle-Cars.
November 2014: Release Deadline Missed
The initial release deadline for Rocket League, around November 2014, was missed. This delay was to allow for the implementation of better matchmaking and servers, higher frame rates, and the removal of free-to-play elements.
July 1, 2015: Original Soundtrack Released
On July 1, 2015, the original soundtrack for Rocket League was released both physically and digitally. It contains original compositions by Psyonix sound designer Mike Ault, as well as contributions by Ault's electronic music group, Hollywood Principle.
July 7, 2015: Rocket League Public Release
On July 7, 2015, Rocket League was publicly released for PlayStation 4 and Windows, becoming part of the Instant Game Collection for PlayStation Plus subscribers. This led to over 183,000 unique players within a week and approximately six million downloads through the promotion.
July 11, 2015: 120,000 Concurrent Players
On July 11, 2015, Psyonix announced that Rocket League had around 120,000 concurrent players across both PlayStation 4 and Windows.
July 2015: Rocket League Released on PlayStation 4 and Windows
In July 2015, Rocket League was first released on the PlayStation Store and Steam for PlayStation 4 and Windows.
August 2015: One Million Copies Sold on Steam
In August 2015, Psyonix announced that Rocket League had sold over one million copies on Steam.
August 2015: Supersonic Fury DLC and Utopia Coliseum Arena Released
In August 2015, Rocket League's first DLC pack, Supersonic Fury, was released along with the new arena Utopia Coliseum. The DLC contained exclusive cosmetics and two new cars.
September 2015: Pro Rocket League Season 1 Announced by MLG
In September 2015, Major League Gaming (MLG) announced the first season of the Pro Rocket League.
September 2015: Cross-Promotion with Chivalry: Medieval Warfare
In September 2015, Psyonix held a cross-promotion with Torn Banner Studios, adding two free new flags themed after Torn Banner's Chivalry: Medieval Warfare to Rocket League.
October 2015: Revenge of the Battle-Cars DLC Released
In October 2015, the Revenge of the Battle-Cars DLC was released for Rocket League. The DLC added two more cars from Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars, along with exclusive cosmetics.
October 21, 2015: DeLorean Time Machine DLC Released
On October 21, 2015, corresponding with Back to the Future Day, the DeLorean time machine from the Back to the Future film franchise was released as a separate DLC for Rocket League.
November 2015: Free Update Adds Mutation Ability
In November 2015, a free update added the ability to Mutate a match, allowing custom presets and match settings like low gravity mode and a cubed ball.
December 2015: Ice Hockey-Based Mutation Introduced
During the latter part of December 2015, Psyonix introduced an ice hockey-based mutation alongside a special event featuring holiday-themed decorative items, replacing the normal ball with a hockey puck, and changing the floor to ice.
December 2015: Chaos Run DLC and Wasteland Arena Released
In December 2015, the Chaos Run DLC was released for Rocket League. The DLC added two more cars, along with more cosmetics. A new arena called "Wasteland" was released for free alongside the DLC.
2015: Rocket League Wins Awards
After the E3 2015 event, Rocket League received multiple nominations and won several awards, including PlayStation Universe's "Best Sports Game of E3", as well as Gaming Trend's "Best Multiplayer Game of E3". At The Game Awards 2015 in December, Rocket League won the award for Best Independent Game and Best Sports/Racing Game, and was nominated for Best Multiplayer.
2015: Rocket League Announced for Xbox One
At The Game Awards in 2015, Rocket League was announced to be ported to Xbox One.
2015: Mutators Game Mode Added
Sometime after the initial release, in 2015, Psyonix released an update that added the mutators game mode to Rocket League. This modified several aspects of the gameplay, such as the gravity, ball size, and ball speed.
February 10, 2016: Snow Day Permanently Added
On February 10, 2016, the ice hockey-inspired "Snow Day" mode was permanently added to the mutator settings for private matches and exhibition games in Rocket League due to positive reception.
February 2016: D.I.C.E. Awards
At the 19th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards in February 2016, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences awarded Rocket League with Sports Game of the Year, Outstanding Achievement in Online Gameplay and the D.I.C.E. Sprite Award.
February 2016: Rocket League earns $70 million
In February 2016, Psyonix announced that Rocket League had earned $70 million in revenues with at least four million copies sold, not including downloads on the PlayStation system. They tracked at least 12 million unique players, including purchases and free play offers on PlayStation Plus.
February 2016: Esports Focus
In February 2016, Psyonix increased their focus in using Rocket League more in esports, due to the game's popularity on Twitch and other live streaming platforms.
February 2016: Rocket Labs Game Playlist Added
In February 2016, a new game playlist called Rocket Labs was added to offer new experimental maps to players as a means to gauge feedback and interest in a map before adding it to the game's standard map playlist.
February 2016: Rocket League Collector's Edition Announced
In February 2016, the Collector's Edition of Rocket League was announced.
February 24, 2016: Ice Hockey Mode Added to Standard Playlists
On February 24, 2016, the ice hockey mode, which was introduced as a mutation in December 2015, was permanently added to the standard playlists of Rocket League.
March 2016: Rocket League Championship Series Announced
In March 2016, Psyonix announced the first Rocket League Championship Series, with the finals taking place in August 2016 and featuring a $55,000 prize pool.
March 2016: Davis's Opinion on Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars Name
Speaking on Rocket League's development in March 2016, Davis opined that Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars was "the worst game name of all time".
April 2016: Basketball-Based Playlist Added
In April 2016, the basketball-based playlist was added to the standard playlists in Rocket League.
April 2016: Themed Content from Goat Simulator and Euro Truck Simulator Added
In April 2016, themed content based on Goat Simulator and Euro Truck Simulator were added to Rocket League as part of cross-promotional deals with those games.
April 25, 2016: Hoops Game Mode Added
On April 25, 2016, the "Hoops" game mode, based on basketball, was added to Rocket League.
May 2016: Rocket League Adds Cross-Platform Play Feature
In May 2016, Rocket League added the cross-platform play feature, allowing Windows and Xbox One players with Xbox Live accounts to play together.
June 2016: Neo Tokyo Arena and Cosmetic Items Added
In June 2016, a new arena, Neo Tokyo, was added to Rocket League via an update. The update also introduced cosmetic items awarded at the end of matches with various rarity grades.
June 24, 2016: Rocket League Collector's Edition Released in Europe
On June 24, 2016, the Collector's Edition of Rocket League was released in Europe.
July 5, 2016: Rocket League Collector's Edition Released in North America
On July 5, 2016, the Collector's Edition of Rocket League was released in North America.
July 7, 2016: Second Volume of the Soundtrack Released
On July 7, 2016, the second volume of the Rocket League soundtrack was released, compiling new songs added to the game with post-release updates.
July 2016: 6.2 Million Sales Across All Platforms
By July 2016, one year after its release, Psyonix reported more than 6.2 million sales of Rocket League across all platforms, including 5.5 million purchases of DLC, with more than $110 million in revenue. 40% of sales were for the PlayStation 4 version, with the remaining split roughly equally between PC and Xbox One.
July 2016: Psyonix Ready to Enable Cross-Platform Play Between Xbox One and PS4
In July 2016, Psyonix stated that they had completed the technical work required to enable cross-platform play between the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions of Rocket League and could enable it within hours of Sony's approval.
August 2016: First Rocket League Championship Series Finals
The finals of the first Rocket League Championship Series took place in August 2016, featuring a $55,000 prize pool.
September 8, 2016: Rumble Mode Added
On September 8, 2016, the "Rumble" mode, featuring unusual power-ups, was added to Rocket League.
September 2016: Crates Loot Box System Introduced
In September 2016, Rocket League introduced Crates, a loot box system where players could purchase them with a random selection of in-game customization items, opened through the purchase of Keys using real-world funds.
September 2016: Rumble Mode Released
In September 2016, a new Rumble mode, which adds unique power-ups on various maps, was released for Rocket League.
October 2016: Aquadome Update Launched
In October 2016, a major update titled "Aquadome" launched for Rocket League, featuring a new arena placed under the sea, along with two new premium water-themed cars, and a new crate containing new items and seven new achievements.
December 2016: Custom Training Sequences Introduced
In December 2016, an update introduced Custom Training sequences, allowing players to create and share training scenarios with specific ball paths and opponent skills.
December 2016: Starbase ARC Update
In December 2016, the Starbase ARC update, based on Psyonix' mobile game ARC Squadron, added custom arena support for Windows players via Steam Workshop to Rocket League.
2016: Psyonix Hopes to include KITT as early as 2016.
In 2016, Psyonix had hoped to include KITT as an item in Rocket League.
2016: Physical Retail Versions and macOS/Linux Versions Released
In 2016, physical retail versions of Rocket League for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One were distributed. Versions for macOS and Linux were also released.
January 2017: 25 Million Unique Players Tracked
By January 2017, Psyonix had tracked more than 25 million unique Rocket League players, averaging 1.1 million players a day, and reaching 220,000 concurrent players at one point. Sony stated that Rocket League was the most-downloaded title from the PlayStation Store in 2016.
February 2017: Player Activity in Rocket League
In February 2017, Psyonix noted that about a fourth of the 29 million registered Rocket League players had played during February 2017.
February 2017: PlayStation 4 Pro Support Added
In February 2017, the PlayStation 4 version of Rocket League was patched to offer PlayStation 4 Pro support, enabling 4K resolution and 60 frames-per-second rendering in certain modes, with rendering improvements to the standard PlayStation 4 as well.
February 2017: Hot Wheels Cars Added to Rocket League
In February 2017, two iconic Hot Wheels cars were added to Rocket League, along with other cosmetic items based on the brand.
March 2017: Psyonix Awaits Console Manufacturers' Agreement for Cross-Platform Play
As of March 2017, Psyonix was ready to enable the cross-platform play feature for Rocket League but was waiting for the console manufacturers to reach the required agreements to allow it.
March 2017: Rocket League Sales and Player Statistics
By March 2017, Psyonix reported that Rocket League had sold more than 10.5 million copies across all platforms and had 29 million registered players. Dunham estimated that 70% of the game's players had purchased some of the DLC offered for the game by March 2017.
March 2017: Dropshot Game Mode Added
In March 2017, Rocket League received an update that added the new game mode called Dropshot. It takes place in an arena without any goals and a field made of hexagonal tiles.
April 2017: Dominic Toretto's Dodge Charger Added
In April 2017, Dominic Toretto's Dodge Charger from the film The Fate of the Furious was added to Rocket League to tie in with the film's release.
April 2017: Partnership with Tencent Announced
In April 2017, Psyonix announced a partnership with Tencent to bring a free-to-play version of Rocket League to the Chinese gaming market.
April 2017: Physical Copies Sold at Retail
In April 2017, Psyonix reported that in addition to 9.5 million digital sales, Rocket League had also sold over a million physical copies at retail.
June 2017: Zag Toys Partnership
In June 2017, Psyonix partnered with Zag Toys to produce a series of pullback toy cars based on Rocket League vehicles, some including redeemable codes for in-game items. Television advertisements for Rocket League began airing in the same month.
July 2017: $75,000 Tournament at Summer X Games
In July 2017, a $75,000 Rocket League tournament was held at the Summer X Games, with the finals streamed live on ESPN3. NRG Esports won the tournament.
July 2017: Anniversary Update and Rick and Morty Content Released
In July 2017, an update released for the one-year anniversary of Rocket League introduced a new arena, along with cosmetic items based on the American animated show Rick and Morty.
August 2017: NBC Sports Tournament
In July–August 2017, NBC Sports Group ran its own $100,000-prize pool Rocket League tournament in conjunction with Faceit, broadcast across eight worldwide regions, marking NBC's first foray into esports.
September 2017: First Collegiate Tournament Announced
Starting in September 2017, Psyonix and Tespa held the first collegiate Rocket League tournament for teams to win a share of $50,000 in scholarships.
October 2017: Warner Bros. to Publish Updated Rocket League
In October 2017, Psyonix announced that Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment would begin publishing an updated version of Rocket League for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles.
December 2017: ELEAGUE Cup Event
In December 2017, Turner Sports organized a US$150,000 ELEAGUE Cup Rocket League event for eight teams, broadcast live on streaming media.
2017: Sponsorship of WWE Events
In 2017, Rocket League served as a sponsor for WWE pay-per-view events, including Backlash, Great Balls of Fire, and SummerSlam.
2017: Rocket League nominated for awards
In 2017, Rocket League was nominated for "e-Sports Game of the Year" and "Still Playing" at the Golden Joystick Awards, and for "Best Spectator Game" in IGN's Best of 2017 Awards. It won the award for "Best Post-Launch Support" in Game Informer' 2017 Sports Game of the Year Awards.
2017: Rocket League Release on Nintendo Switch
In 2017, it was announced that Rocket League would be released for the Nintendo Switch. It was released later that year on November 14, and includes Nintendo property customization options and supports cross-platform play with PC and Xbox One versions.
September 2018: Player base reaches 50 million
By September 2018, the Rocket League player base had risen to 50 million players.
September 2018: Rocket Pass Battle Pass Feature Added
In September 2018, Rocket League added a battle pass feature known as the Rocket Pass. This pass had challenges and other opportunities that allowed players to increase the tier of the Pass.
September 2018: Sony Alters Position on Cross-Platform Play
In September 2018, Sony altered its position on cross-platform play following criticism related to Fortnite Battle Royale on the Nintendo Switch.
December 2018: Hot Wheels RC Car Game Set Released
In December 2018, Hot Wheels released a radio-controlled car (RC car) game set based on Rocket League, featuring two RC cars controlled via Bluetooth, a play field, and a ball with infrared sensors for scoring.
2018: Rocket League Sales and Player Base Milestone
By the beginning of 2018, Rocket League achieved over 10 million sales and had 40 million players. The game was also adopted as an esport.
2018: Rocket League wins Fan Favorite Awards
In 2018, Rocket League won the award for "Fan Favorite Sports/Racing Game" at the Gamers' Choice Awards, and was nominated for "Fan Favorite eSports Game". It was also nominated for "eSports Title of the Year" at the Australian Games Awards.
January 2019: Sony Grants Cross-Platform Play for Rocket League
In January 2019, Psyonix announced that Sony had granted cross-platform play for Rocket League, allowing play between PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC versions.
February 2019: Rocket League Enables Cross-Platform Play
In February 2019, cross-platform play was enabled for Rocket League, allowing players on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC to play together.
May 2019: Epic Games Acquires Psyonix
In May 2019, Epic Games announced its acquisition of Psyonix. Following the announcement, Rocket League became subject to review bombing on Steam.
July 2019: Rocket League Licensed in China
In July 2019, the free-to-play version of Rocket League was successfully licensed through China's approval process.
December 2019: Crates System Replaced with Blueprints and Item Shop Introduced
In December 2019, Rocket League replaced the Crates system with Blueprints due to governmental concerns over loot boxes. A new rotating Item Shop was introduced as well.
December 2019: Blueprint Update Controversy and Price Reduction
In December 2019, after the Blueprint update, players voiced concerns that completing blueprints was more expensive and less rewarding than opening loot boxes. Within a week, Psyonix reduced blueprint prices by half and issued refunds.
2019: Radical Summer Event and Halloween Event
For the 2019 Radical Summer event, Psyonix released two new car packs. For the 2019 Halloween event, cars and other cosmetics based on the television series Stranger Things were added.
2019: Rocket League nominated for the "Still Playing" award
In 2019, Rocket League was nominated for the "Still Playing" award at the Golden Joystick Awards.
2019: Cross-Platform Party Feature Planned
In 2019, a cross-platform party feature was planned for an update to Rocket League. This would allow players to create in-game friend lists across platforms and play in matches together, though limited by existing cross-platform compatibility.
January 2020: Support for macOS and Linux Dropped
In January 2020, Psyonix announced that support for macOS and Linux would be dropped from Rocket League by March 2020, citing a small player base and the need to advance other platforms.
March 2020: End of Support for macOS and Linux
By March 2020, Psyonix officially ended support for macOS and Linux versions of Rocket League, with these versions no longer able to connect to online services.
May 2020: Modes of May Event Introduced
In May 2020, Psyonix introduced the Modes of May event to Rocket League, which included a number of limited-time game modes for every weekend of the month, such as Dropshot Rumble, Beach Ball, Boomer Ball, and Heatseeker.
September 23, 2020: Rocket League Transitions to Free-to-Play
On September 23, 2020, Rocket League transitioned to a free-to-play model on all platforms. This update included cross-platform progression, new competitive tournaments, challenges, and eliminated the need for console subscription services.
2020: Rocket League Went Free-to-Play and Support for macOS/Linux Ended
In 2020, Rocket League became free-to-play after Epic Games acquired Psyonix. Support for online services on macOS and Linux versions was dropped in 2020.
February 2021: Gridiron Mode Released
In February 2021, Psyonix released a limited-time gamemode called Gridiron in celebration of Super Bowl LV. The game mode functioned similar to gridiron football.
March 2021: Rocket League Sideswipe Announced
In March 2021, Rocket League Sideswipe, a free mobile game spin-off by Psyonix, was announced. The game replicates the gameplay of the original game but in a two-dimensional space.
April 2021: Rocket League Sideswipe Announced
In April 2021, Psyonix announced that they would release Rocket League Sideswipe for iOS and Android.
2021: RLCS Season X Format Changes
The year 2021 brought significant changes to Rocket League esports with RLCS Season X, introducing a new competitive format featuring three separate regional splits, each with its own international Majors, followed by the season-ending World Championship. Teams were awarded points based on regional event placements, qualifying them for the World Championship.
April 26, 2022: Knockout Game Mode Added
On April 26, 2022, Rocket League added the Knockout game mode. It is played Free-For-All, without teams, in a set of newly added arenas that have no goals.
2022: RLCS Season X Format Continues
In 2022, the format introduced with RLCS Season X, featuring three regional splits and an international Majors, continued for the 2022-23 season, leading up to the World Championship.
December 2, 2023: Psyonix Teases Rocket Racing During Fortnite Big Bang Event
On December 2, 2023, Psyonix teased Rocket Racing, a spin-off title, during the Fortnite Big Bang event. The game mode was later released in Fortnite on December 8.
December 8, 2023: Rocket Racing Released in Fortnite
On December 8, 2023, Rocket Racing, a racing spin-off title by Psyonix, was released in Fortnite as one of the new game modes.
December 2023: Player-to-Player Trading Removed
In December 2023, Psyonix removed player-to-player trading in Rocket League. This change aimed to align item policies with Epic's standards and enable cross-game ownership of Rocket League vehicles in other Epic Games titles.
December 2024: Split Shot Mode Added
As part of the Season 17 update in December 2024, Rocket League added the Split Shot mode. In Split Shot there is a wall in the middle of the two halves.
December 2024: Season 17 Release
In December 2024, the latest 17th season of Rocket League was released.
2024: Gameplay Updates Introduced
In 2024, Rocket League introduced gameplay updates that allowed players to view teammates' boost levels and the remaining game clock time when chat comments were made.
2024: RLCS Season X Format Changes Again
In 2024, The RLCS Season X Format changed to two regional splits, each one having their own international Major at the end, followed by the World Championship. Also in 2024, the FIFAe World Cup, organized by FIFA and previously utilizing the FIFA soccer series, would feature a national team focused Rocket League tournament.
March 2025: Season 17 End Date
The 17th season of Rocket League is set to end on March 2025.
2025: Additional Features Added to RLCS Season X
In 2025, The RLCS Season X Format was kept, however, Last Chance Qualifiers for the World Championship for the 4 best regions, Play-ins for the World Championship and a 1v1 series were added.
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