Has Rocket League peaked? Five ways Epic Games can change that

Rocket League ranks as one of the most popular esports games worldwide, but that might come as a surprise. Released in 2015 by developer Psyonix, the racing game quickly became the game to play online, and that only exploded when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020. However, a lack of significant updates since 2020, by its new owner, Epic Games, has begun to frustrate long-time players, with viewership steadily dropping in recent times.

With the game seemingly reaching its peak, we’ve listed five ways it can win back old fans and attract new ones.

Rocket League, developed by Psyonix and released in July 2015 for all consoles, as well as PC, Mac, and Linux, lets players take control of a car in the midst of what looks like a football pitch to put the ball in the opponent’s goal. Originally thought of as a mod for Epic Games’ first-person-shooter, Unreal Tournament 2004, it subsequently mutated into Rocket League a decade later, becoming one of the most popular esports games worldwide. Since Epic Games acquired Psyonix in 2020, Rocket League has been free to play.

Much of Rocket League’s popularity is due to its low bar to entry. It takes four button presses from launching the game to starting a match. The game’s core concept, pushing a ball into a goal, is uncomplicated and has probably been done in real life by many players from a young age. Combine that with cars that can boost and be customised to their liking, and you get a game that’s easy to pick up, with fantastic visuals and sound that rarely ages.

There’s also the benefit of regular updates and cross-platform support, similar to Epic Games’ other free-to-play title, Fortnite. Combine that with esports tournaments like the Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS) and its presence in other events, Rocket League is still a popular game for millions of players worldwide.

Although Rocket League is still a popular game, its user base has dropped in recent years due to several factors. There have been plenty of titles that have debuted in several esports tournaments recently, which have become viral through social platforms like TikTok and X, as well as event organisers having a limited amount of games they can feature over a period of a few days. It’s also important to note that viewership for the Rocket League Championship Series has dropped significantly, with a peak of 287,987 viewers watching RLCS 2025 Birmingham in March this year. Compared to last year’s viewership of the same event held in Copenhagen, 435,503, it’s a significant drop that can’t be ignored.

There’s also the factor of Epic Games buying developer Psyonix in 2020 and taking Rocket League off Valve’s Steam storefront, making it exclusive to download and use via its Epic Games app. This alienated plenty of players who don’t like using Epic Games’ ecosystem, as well as a contentious shift to a blueprint system and then its abandonment in recent years, to the annoyance of longtime Rocket League players.

Some new modes could appear for a limited time for players to keep a sense of excitement and intrigue. For example, perhaps it could take inspiration from the Knockout Tour mode in the upcoming Mario Kart World for Nintendo Switch 2, out next month. Instead of a race that knocks players out who are in last place, have players be knocked out if the ball touches them, much like an old-fashioned game of Dodgeball.

Other esports tournaments like League of Legends and Evo have hosts and events throughout to keep players and viewers engaged. The same should apply to the Rocket League Championship Series. Bring in interviews with players, as well as developers who update and maintain the game every month. Perhaps tease what’s coming up, and look into partnerships with upcoming movie and game releases, similar to how Fortnite does with Star Wars, Halo, and more.

Granted, Rocket League has been colourful and full of life since its debut in 2015. But if you look up close, it’s starting to show its age. The game is yet to move to Unreal Engine 5, which brings a lot of benefits, such as better ray-tracing, better lighting, improved tools to speed up development, and much more. Fortnite moved to the engine in 2022, and its appearance compared to before is almost night and day. A new and improved look alone could help modernise Rocket League for all players.

Customisation options in racing games can be a crucial part to spur conversations and competition among players. However, there hasn’t been much word from Epic Games recently about new cars and items coming to Rocket League. A good way to recharge some popularity back into the game could be to announce new partnerships that enable players to race in well-known cars online. These could range from vehicles in TV Shows like The Simpsons and Wacky Races, to crossovers with IPs like Twisted Metal. Combine that with the ability to add and change new decals and tyres that could affect your vehicle in a match, and there could be new ways to win at Rocket League, and in turn, be showcased at esports events to entice new and old players back to the game.

For over a year now, players have been reporting major lag issues when playing the game on a Sony PlayStation 5. If you go on YouTube, there are countless ‘How To’ guides to reduce the latency, but it’s ultimately Epic Games’ responsibility. To leave issues like these for over a year damages the credibility of  Rocket League and Epic Games. With the Nintendo Switch 2 launching on June 5, it would be a great opportunity for Epic Games to bring out the game on the console’s launch day with a big Rocket League update that also applies to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S/X. This way, it can at least be a first step to repair its reputation with these platforms.

Rocket League has always been a fun game to casually pick up and play, but Epic Games needs to up its own game on its support for the title. Although the game is usually featured as a popular esports title, there’s a risk of that going away soon, unless Epic Games looks at players’ frustrations, such as the five points above.

Granted, Rocket Racing in Fortnite enables players to essentially play Rocket League in Epic Games’ more successful title, but it shouldn’t solely focus on that. The mode should, at most, be a springboard to encourage new and old players to load up Rocket League. There’s a great opportunity here for Rocket League to be redefined — it’s now up to Epic Games to acknowledge that and listen to the game’s loyal players so it can be a huge force in the esports scene.