Rocket League won’t require PS Plus, Nintendo Switch Online after going free-to-play

Rocket League is going through some changes as the vehicular-soccer multiplayer sensation makes the transition to a free-to-play game. One important change highlighted by developer Psyonix is that Rocket League will no longer require a subscription to PlayStation Plus on PlayStation 4 or Nintendo Switch Online to play the game online.

That’s not too surprising; Sony and Nintendo make exceptions for free-to-play games like Warframe and Fortnite, letting players enjoy those games online without a paid subscription. (Microsoft still requires an Xbox Live Gold subscription for free-to-play games on Xbox.) But it’s good news for newcomers who might want to experience Rocket League without a subscription paywall.

In a blog post, Psyonix outlined other changes arriving alongside Rocket League’s free-to-play update, including a new-player experience. A new tutorial will “put new players right on the field, and will teach the basic HUD and button layout,” Psyonix said. “New players will also have New Driver Challenges to unlock items that were included in the base version of Rocket League.”

Rocket League is also getting new competitive ranks — three levels of Grand Champion rank and a new highest competitive rank, Supersonic Legend — and a streamlined seasonal schedule. An update to the game is planned for mid-September, with the launch of free-to-play following “shortly after,” Psyonix said.

Psyonix announced Rocket League’s free-to-play transition in July, and confirmed that the Windows PC version of the game is leaving Steam for the Epic Games Store.