It’s time for another Rocket League Community Spotlight and this time around we're focusing on ground-based ball control. Harnessing the timing, knowledge and muscle memory to flick the ball over an unassuming opponent is a critical skill to win. In fact, some of the most popular video clips on our Subreddit have been those that showcase a player’s ability to masterfully control the ball.


It’s no secret that ‘Custom Training’ provides some of the most efficient means of practice outside of playing real matches. Knowing this, the Rocket League community has honed their skills using various packs found in the ‘Featured’ Training Browser. Now, we're passing on some of the most popular and useful selections on to you -- specifically focusing on packs that target the game's core mechanics in addition to ball control.


If you're looking for more, don’t forget to fly by last month’s Community Spotlight to discover new ways to practice aerial control!


Looking back at May’s Community Spotlight, French Fries introduced us to Dribbling Challenge 1.1.1; a map that specializes on the intricacies of that highly-advanced skill. With bigger and more dynamic obstacles in mind, French Fries has picked up where he left off with his newly-published Dribbling Challenge #2. Whether it’s long runways, massive gaps, or swinging blockades, this new update offers even more exciting ways to practice your ball control in an unforgiving environment. Whether you play casually or against the clock, you'll learn what it takes to get an edge on your opponents the more you practice. Oh, and if you’re up for it, try to beat pro Rocket League player Dappur and his 7-minute, 37-second world record!

Good luck with this month’s featured training packs, and don’t forget to check out all of the community creations the Steam Workshop continues to offer!

It’s time for another Rocket League Community Spotlight and this time around we're focusing on ground-based ball control. Harnessing the timing, knowledge and muscle memory to flick the ball over an unassuming opponent is a critical skill to win. In fact, some of the most popular video clips on our Subreddit have been those that showcase a player’s ability to masterfully control the ball.


It’s no secret that ‘Custom Training’ provides some of the most efficient means of practice outside of playing real matches. Knowing this, the Rocket League community has honed their skills using various packs found in the ‘Featured’ Training Browser. Now, we're passing on some of the most popular and useful selections on to you -- specifically focusing on packs that target the game's core mechanics in addition to ball control.


If you're looking for more, don’t forget to fly by last month’s Community Spotlight to discover new ways to practice aerial control!


Looking back at May’s Community Spotlight, French Fries introduced us to Dribbling Challenge 1.1.1; a map that specializes on the intricacies of that highly-advanced skill. With bigger and more dynamic obstacles in mind, French Fries has picked up where he left off with his newly-published Dribbling Challenge #2. Whether it’s long runways, massive gaps, or swinging blockades, this new update offers even more exciting ways to practice your ball control in an unforgiving environment. Whether you play casually or against the clock, you'll learn what it takes to get an edge on your opponents the more you practice. Oh, and if you’re up for it, try to beat pro Rocket League player Dappur and his 7-minute, 37-second world record!

Good luck with this month’s featured training packs, and don’t forget to check out all of the community creations the Steam Workshop continues to offer!

Next week sees the launch of our massive Autumn Update, and there are a few features we want to highlight before the big day on September 28!
Rocket League on PC is getting a Local Match option at long last. This means you will be able to host and join LAN matches without the need for an internet connection! You and up to seven of your LAN party-going friends will be able to join the same match and enjoy all of the different game modes, Arenas, and Mutators that Rocket League has to offer -- think Private Matches, but offline with no need to select a server region.



Creating and hosting a Local Match will feel very familiar if you have ever created an Exhibition Match or Private Match before. Joining a Local Match will bring up a new window, seen below, which will display any Local Match currently available on your network.

Local Matches are PC-only for now, but we hope to include Local Match play for consoles in a future update.


The Autumn Update will also see a significant but experimental addition to spectating and Replays: ‘Director Mode’ comes with the update as a beta feature, putting an AI in charge of camera movement and placement while you watch Replays, or spectate matches. Powered by a deep analysis of match data and a brand new camera-controlling AI, Director Mode aims to give viewers the best position possible without pushing a button. The automated control will be especially relevant when it comes to choosing which Player Camera to focus on, and when to switch to a different player. Whether you’re streaming or spectating, having the speed and knowledge to shift between specific players, instead of opting for wider shots, can make or break the look and feel of a video or stream.



Director Mode lives with the rest of the Camera Options available to you while spectating or watching Replays, and is a completely optional function. Watching the new mode at work can help inform you on how to set up manual controls later on, while those new to the streaming scene can use Director Mode to easily showcase matches to their followers.

As always, please send us questions about Local Play and Director Mode on social, or on the subreddit. We can’t wait to share the rest of the Autumn Update with you next week!

 

Next week sees the launch of our massive Autumn Update, and there are a few features we want to highlight before the big day on September 28!
Rocket League on PC is getting a Local Match option at long last. This means you will be able to host and join LAN matches without the need for an internet connection! You and up to seven of your LAN party-going friends will be able to join the same match and enjoy all of the different game modes, Arenas, and Mutators that Rocket League has to offer -- think Private Matches, but offline with no need to select a server region.



Creating and hosting a Local Match will feel very familiar if you have ever created an Exhibition Match or Private Match before. Joining a Local Match will bring up a new window, seen below, which will display any Local Match currently available on your network.

Local Matches are PC-only for now, but we hope to include Local Match play for consoles in a future update.


The Autumn Update will also see a significant but experimental addition to spectating and Replays: ‘Director Mode’ comes with the update as a beta feature, putting an AI in charge of camera movement and placement while you watch Replays, or spectate matches. Powered by a deep analysis of match data and a brand new camera-controlling AI, Director Mode aims to give viewers the best position possible without pushing a button. The automated control will be especially relevant when it comes to choosing which Player Camera to focus on, and when to switch to a different player. Whether you’re streaming or spectating, having the speed and knowledge to shift between specific players, instead of opting for wider shots, can make or break the look and feel of a video or stream.



Director Mode lives with the rest of the Camera Options available to you while spectating or watching Replays, and is a completely optional function. Watching the new mode at work can help inform you on how to set up manual controls later on, while those new to the streaming scene can use Director Mode to easily showcase matches to their followers.

As always, please send us questions about Local Play and Director Mode on social, or on the subreddit. We can’t wait to share the rest of the Autumn Update with you next week!

 

Happy Update Reveal Day! (Yes, it’s a real holiday.) We just announced that Rocket League's Autumn Update is coming to all platforms on September 28, and you can check out the reveal page for details on the new ‘Farmstead’ seasonal Arena, ‘Accelerator’ Crate, Player Banners, and more!

But what lies beyond the Autumn Update? What features are we working on? How many different dragon-themed Player Banners are we cooking up? Read on below.
A Tournament system is something we've wanted for Rocket League since our launch in July 2015. In-game Tournaments would allow all of our players, from Rookie to Rocketeer, to take part in competitions without ever having to leave the game client.

Our goal is to launch a Tournaments Beta before the end of 2017. We can tell you for sure that the beta will run through Steam, but all other info, like timing and sign-up details will be revealed once we're closer to the beta’s launch. For those wondering why the beta is "PC-only," it's because Steam allows us to make changes and collect performance feedback more rapidly than any other platform.

Once the beta is complete and we’ve had time to digest feedback and make appropriate changes, we will then aim to move Tournaments to a regular feature on all platforms in a future update for 2018.


Along with a Tournaments Beta before the year is done, we will also be testing a new Party System that we’re building directly into Rocket League. When finished, this new system will allow you to party up directly via PsyNet instead of the party systems currently used through Steam, Xbox Live, or the PlayStation Network. Our first test(s), however, will be limited to Steam players.

Once your account is flagged for the new Party system, your game will automatically sync with your Steam Friends List information and allow you to create a party via PsyNet. You’ll still use the 'Create Party' button as you normally would, but instead of seeing a Party invite in Steam, you’ll see new in-game notifications alerting you to a Party invite.

While the PsyNet Party System is Steam-only, this is the first step in enabling the possibility of supporting cross-platform parties at a later date. We’ll have more information about the new Party System once we’re closer to launch.
As detailed on our Autumn Update page, we are also debuting a new 'Events' system, which introduces limited-time events that provide players with the opportunity to earn additional car customizations. Using a new item called the 'Decryptor,’ (obtained as drops after online matches) players will be able to unlock any unopened Crate in their inventory without having to purchase a Key. Additional information will be provided closer to the launch of the events themselves later this year.

See below for a few more Tournaments Beta screenshots!

Happy Update Reveal Day! (Yes, it’s a real holiday.) We just announced that Rocket League's Autumn Update is coming to all platforms on September 28, and you can check out the reveal page for details on the new ‘Farmstead’ seasonal Arena, ‘Accelerator’ Crate, Player Banners, and more!

But what lies beyond the Autumn Update? What features are we working on? How many different dragon-themed Player Banners are we cooking up? Read on below.
A Tournament system is something we've wanted for Rocket League since our launch in July 2015. In-game Tournaments would allow all of our players, from Rookie to Rocketeer, to take part in competitions without ever having to leave the game client.

Our goal is to launch a Tournaments Beta before the end of 2017. We can tell you for sure that the beta will run through Steam, but all other info, like timing and sign-up details will be revealed once we're closer to the beta’s launch. For those wondering why the beta is "PC-only," it's because Steam allows us to make changes and collect performance feedback more rapidly than any other platform.

Once the beta is complete and we’ve had time to digest feedback and make appropriate changes, we will then aim to move Tournaments to a regular feature on all platforms in a future update for 2018.


Along with a Tournaments Beta before the year is done, we will also be testing a new Party System that we’re building directly into Rocket League. When finished, this new system will allow you to party up directly via PsyNet instead of the party systems currently used through Steam, Xbox Live, or the PlayStation Network. Our first test(s), however, will be limited to Steam players.

Once your account is flagged for the new Party system, your game will automatically sync with your Steam Friends List information and allow you to create a party via PsyNet. You’ll still use the 'Create Party' button as you normally would, but instead of seeing a Party invite in Steam, you’ll see new in-game notifications alerting you to a Party invite.

While the PsyNet Party System is Steam-only, this is the first step in enabling the possibility of supporting cross-platform parties at a later date. We’ll have more information about the new Party System once we’re closer to launch.
As detailed on our Autumn Update page, we are also debuting a new 'Events' system, which introduces limited-time events that provide players with the opportunity to earn additional car customizations. Using a new item called the 'Decryptor,’ (obtained as drops after online matches) players will be able to unlock any unopened Crate in their inventory without having to purchase a Key. Additional information will be provided closer to the launch of the events themselves later this year.

See below for a few more Tournaments Beta screenshots!

The massive, FREE Autumn Update is coming on September 28!

Announcement page + Details:
https://www.rocketleague.com/game-info/autumn-update/

Trailer:
https://youtu.be/0B9PVx153Zo

The massive, FREE Autumn Update is coming on September 28!

Announcement page + Details:
https://www.rocketleague.com/game-info/autumn-update/

Trailer:
https://youtu.be/0B9PVx153Zo

We want to thank everyone for their feedback last week on the Season 5 Rewards, and the Player Banners overall. (And thank you for the alternate Reward suggestions, some of which were well-received here at the studio.) Now that the dust has settled on the announcement, we want to take this opportunity to talk about the Banners moving forward, and give you some examples of how Banners are used in the game.

First and foremost, we decided to go with Player Banners for Season 5 Rewards because we wanted to give players the ability to show off their competitive achievements without relying on an Item Customization slot attached to a Preset in the Garage. The Toppers, Rocket Boosts, Wheels, and Trails we created for previous Competitive Season Rewards were well-received by the community, but using that Season Two Star Rocket Boost means you can’t use Boosts from drops, Crates, or Fan Rewards. Player Banners help you display your Ranked chops, while keeping your car’s look exactly how you want it.

Additionally, the Season 5 Reward Player Banners are not mandatory in any way. While everyone who placed in Competitive Playlists will get one or several of these Dragon-themed Player Banners, you do not have to display them on your account. Player Banners are a new Customization Item, so you will have a level of control over the Player Banners as you do Toppers, Wheels, and so on. Along with being able to choose which Player Banner you display (including keeping the ‘Standard’ Banner in place), you’ll also be able to customize the color on some Banners. (See the screenshots below.)

Outside of the S5 Rewards Banners you have already seen, all other Player Banners in the Autumn Update are not aesthetically tied to anything specific. Like the rest of our Customization Items, the Banners are cool, or funny (or both), or have an eye-catching effect like some of our Black Market Decals.

But what do they look like when you’re actually in Rocket League? Up top, you can see our dear friend, the Pigeon, demonstrating how the Player Banner fits into the Goal Replay screen. Below you can see how the Player Banner fits into the Garage Menu UI, and how some Banners have customizable colors.

Hopefully this helps clear up some of the questions you may have with the new item type, and we're always here to answer whatever Player Banner questions we can.



 

We want to thank everyone for their feedback last week on the Season 5 Rewards, and the Player Banners overall. (And thank you for the alternate Reward suggestions, some of which were well-received here at the studio.) Now that the dust has settled on the announcement, we want to take this opportunity to talk about the Banners moving forward, and give you some examples of how Banners are used in the game.

First and foremost, we decided to go with Player Banners for Season 5 Rewards because we wanted to give players the ability to show off their competitive achievements without relying on an Item Customization slot attached to a Preset in the Garage. The Toppers, Rocket Boosts, Wheels, and Trails we created for previous Competitive Season Rewards were well-received by the community, but using that Season Two Star Rocket Boost means you can’t use Boosts from drops, Crates, or Fan Rewards. Player Banners help you display your Ranked chops, while keeping your car’s look exactly how you want it.

Additionally, the Season 5 Reward Player Banners are not mandatory in any way. While everyone who placed in Competitive Playlists will get one or several of these Dragon-themed Player Banners, you do not have to display them on your account. Player Banners are a new Customization Item, so you will have a level of control over the Player Banners as you do Toppers, Wheels, and so on. Along with being able to choose which Player Banner you display (including keeping the ‘Standard’ Banner in place), you’ll also be able to customize the color on some Banners. (See the screenshots below.)

Outside of the S5 Rewards Banners you have already seen, all other Player Banners in the Autumn Update are not aesthetically tied to anything specific. Like the rest of our Customization Items, the Banners are cool, or funny (or both), or have an eye-catching effect like some of our Black Market Decals.

But what do they look like when you’re actually in Rocket League? Up top, you can see our dear friend, the Pigeon, demonstrating how the Player Banner fits into the Goal Replay screen. Below you can see how the Player Banner fits into the Garage Menu UI, and how some Banners have customizable colors.

Hopefully this helps clear up some of the questions you may have with the new item type, and we're always here to answer whatever Player Banner questions we can.