Rocket League continues to thrive as a live service. Developer Psyonix is now detailing its plans for the rest of 2018. The vehicular soccer game is going to soon enter the world’s largest gaming market. It’s also getting an updated version for Microsoft’s Xbox One X. The studio has also revealed that it is delaying its big cross-platform party system.
In December, Rocket League will get its last major update for the year. This patch will focus on Xbox One X enhancements. Psyonix is promising support for ultra HD 4K, HDR, and 60 frames per second all at the same time. But the studio is also going to roll out new content in December as well. That includes its second premium progression pass and a new in-game celebration.
“December will also see the beginning of the next Rocket Pass with a new suite of items, along with another licensed premium DLC that will release around the same time,” Rocket League director Scott Rudi wrote in a blog post. “And starting in mid-December, Frosty Fest 2018 will operate just like our currently-happening Haunted Hallows Event; you’ll earn Snowflakes for playing matches online and redeem it for holiday-themed items, including a ‘Golden Gift.'”
Hopefully, “Golden Gift” is not a reference to a video tape featuring a U.S. president in a Moscow hotel room.
June 5th: The AI Audit in NYC
Join us next week in NYC to engage with top executive leaders, delving into strategies for auditing AI models to ensure fairness, optimal performance, and ethical compliance across diverse organizations. Secure your attendance for this exclusive invite-only event.
China
Psyonix also provided some information about its planned arrival in China. The studio said that the launch is coming soon, but it still has no release date. I’ve reached out to Psyonix to ask if China’s regulators are contributing to any uncertainty about when Rocket League will go live in that country. Chinese authorities have not approved any new games for sale since March. That is affecting both foreign and domestic game publishers, which includes Psyonix’s partner, Tencent. In response, Psyonix confirmed that it was able to secure Chinese approval prior to the current freeze.
Psyonix still sounds hopeful about the Chinese launch. And the studio seems to enjoy working with that country’s largest gaming company.
“Our partners at Tencent are big fans of the game and have been incredibly supportive of our vision and goals,” reads Rudi’s blog.
Rocket ID delayed
Finally, Psyonix is pushing its cross-platform party system into early 2019. RocketID is a new Psyonix-specific service for bringing people together regardless of platform. You will sign in through Rocket League and then manage a playlist that is specific to that game. This will enable players on Switch to party up with friends on PC or Xbox One, for example.
Psyonix intended to release RocketID this year, but it is still working on its features. But it says that will give it time to work on getting the same approval for PlayStation 4 cross-platform support that Fortnite has. Although, it’s clear that Rocket League is not part of Sony’s cross-platform plans yet.
“The good news is that with Sony’s recent announcements regarding full cross-platform functionality, we can now make additional changes to prepare RocketID for all platforms should we receive permission to do so,” reads Rudi’s blog. “We’re working incredibly hard to ensure that it’s as intuitive, stable, and polished as possible, before releasing it to the world. We know the wait has been frustrating for many of you who are eager for this feature, and we thank you for your patience as we continue to work on cross-platform support.”
But if Sony is committed to cross-platform play, Rocket League is the obvious next game that should get it after Fortnite.
Correction: This story originally described RocketID as similar to the Epic account for Fortnite, which isn’t accurate. I’ve updated my language to fix that.
