The video game Rocket League is a soccer competition in which players take control of racing cars and collaborate with their teammates to score goals and come out on top. In the beginning, to play the game, you were required to purchase it. However, as of September 2020, the game is now completely free to play.
The producers earn their money off the game by selling skins, cosmetics, and other goodies; nevertheless, as with every free-to-play game, the issue of whether or not it is a pay-to-win model has to be answered.
What Items Are Available for Purchase in Rocket League
You may buy in-game credits with real money in Rocket League, and those credits can then be used to buy a range of other things from the game’s virtual shop. These objects are as follows:
Car Body
The car body determines the form and appearance of your automobile.
Decal
Stickers allow you to add personalized designs to the outside of your vehicle.
Paint
Your car’s paintwork will have a very interesting impact due to this.
Wheels
Rocket League allows players to customize their vehicles with a wide selection of unique wheels.
Player Banner
When you play games, this picture appears next to your name.
Player Title
Whenever you play a game, this title will appear below your name.
Trail
When you drive around the field in your vehicle, a path like this will be left behind for you to follow.
Rocket Boost
This is the particle effect shown in games whenever the boost button is pressed.
Goal Explosion
When you complete a goal, an animation like this will play out.
Topper
This accessory, which resembles a hat, is meant to be placed on top of your car.
Avatar Border
Whenever you play a game, this border will display around your avatar.
Audio for the Engine
In Rocket League, players have access to a wide array of distinct engine sounds to choose from.
Anthem
When you accomplish a remarkable feat in a game, such as making a save or scoring a goal, this music will start playing.
In Rocket League, as you can see, there are many customization choices at your disposal; yet, it is unclear whether or not any of these purely aesthetic modifications truly confer any competitive advantage on the player.
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Except for one cosmetic, the answer is negative.
The automobile body is the one aesthetic item that has the potential to have an impact on the gameplay. More about this may be found below.
How does your car’s body affect how you play Rocket League?
The four-car bodies each have their unique hitboxes, and even while the variations aren’t huge, any veteran Rocket League player will tell you that there is a discernible difference between the car bodies. Cars with flatter hitboxes, such as the Batmobile or the Dominus, make it simpler to dribble the ball while it is in the air. On the other hand, cars that have hitboxes that are broader, such as the Merc, are ideal for blocking shots and simplifying defence.
There are a large number of automobile bodies that are free for any player to use, but there is an equal number that needs payment to access. If you want to learn a playstyle that is easier to master when you utilize a certain sort of car body, you will need to pay to unlock particular vehicle bodies in Rocket League. This makes the game technically a pay-to-win scenario.
hitboxes
It may become more significant once you reach a higher level, but by the time you get there, you’ll almost certainly have unlocked a whole lot of new vehicle bodies thanks to the free rocket pass that you’ll be able to use in the meanwhile.
Regarding the rocket pass, several perks are exclusive to the premium pass tier, so let’s talk a little bit more about them before moving on to the next topic.
Rocket Pass Premium
The Premium Rocket Pass may be acquired for one thousand in-game credits. All it does is provide you access to many other cosmetics that have little effect on your overall performance, except for vehicle bodywork that is helpful for certain playstyles.
An increase in experience points is one of the benefits that are exclusive to purchasing the pass and cannot be obtained in any other way.
Throughout each tier of the premium pass, you will have access to XP boosters, which will speed up the process of reaching the next level and unlocking new cosmetics. Although this does not impact the gameplay, you unlock specific vehicle bodies that are useful to you more rapidly. Because of this, this might be deemed pay-to-win.
Is Rocket League thus a Pay-to-Win game?
The answer is “no,” not even close. Although various vehicle bodywork performs marginally better in certain circumstances, the variations are so minute that most players won’t even be able to tell the difference. Therefore it’s best not to worry too much about it. Because almost everything that can be purchased in this game is just aesthetic, you have my full support if you do not spend any money on the game and instead focus on improving your abilities.
