Epic Games acquired Rocket League in May and since then the developers, Psyonix, has had some very ambitious plans for their game. One of the plans is gaining a lot of headlines as they are the first major game to remove “all paid, randomized crates” from their game. This change will happen later this year and will be a big jump for the gaming industry as a whole.
On both Twitter and a brief blog post, the developers confirmed this change and that all of the current paid, randomized loot boxes will be replaced with a new system. This system will show the exact item being bought in advanced and will remove all randomization from the game.
Announcement time: Crates will be leaving Rocket League later this year. Check out our blog for the official announcement. https://t.co/NdIX4054bp pic.twitter.com/LYud8NVuAf
— Rocket League (@RocketLeague) August 6, 2019
In recent news, there has been a lot of discussion about whether or not Loot Boxes could be considered gambling. Some companies are describing it as the “surprise factor” while others are saying they rely on the system for continuous income. Epic Games will be the first company to rotate out the industry-standard Loot Box practice.
Rocket League is not the only game getting a chance in microtransaction systems. Fortnite has made changes to the V-Buck Llamas, allowing them to show their contents before you purchase. With Epic Games making such big waves in the industry, it is only a matter of time before other companies change as well.
Developer Psyonix has said that their decision is based on their goal and “dedicat[ion] to creating the best possible experience for our players all over the world.” By putting player experience first, the game is already seeing many returning players as they have shown themselves to be a much more conscious company.
There has been no direct confirmation about when this new system will be added to the game. The developers have stated it will come sometime later this year and that information will be shared in the next few months.
Even with the randomized crates being rotated out, the company will continue to sell its Rocket Pass Premium, DLC Cars, and Esports shop items for direct purchase. So this is not a complete removal of their microtransaction systems but a clear change in how they plan to make money in their game.
In April, Psyonix removed loot boxes in two European countries due to government regulations. There are other games following suit, including Overwatch and Star Wars Battlefront II. EA even removed FIFA points from their FIFA games to help it be allowed in other countries where the game thrives.