Rocket League cuts prices on in-game store items after blowback

One week after Rocket League’s “Blueprints” update removed the game’s random loot crates, the in-game prices of those blueprints are getting an across-the-board cut, and players are even receiving differential refunds for the ones they picked up in the past week.

Psyonix announced the new rate structure in a community note today, acknowledging that the first pricing scheme “did not meet community expectations.” But in the Blueprints’ first week, players blanched at the high cost of some items — including ones costing 1,000 or 2,000 credits. Rocket League’s credits are a premium currency that roughly equals $1 per 100.

The Blueprints were intended to be a means of more transparency, allowing players to directly acquire a customization item as opposed to just rolling the dice with a straight loot draw. Instead, players were skeptical that spending $20 on a single, specific item as opposed to $20 on 20 random chances with loot crates was really a deal in their favor.

In the new price schedule, rare items will cost 50 to 100 credits; very rare items are 100 to 200 credits, import-class items are 300 to 500 credits, and exotic items are 700 to 800 credits.

Furthermore, the paint and special edition modifiers to an item will also add less to the blueprint’s cost. The burnt sienna color adds no additional credits, titanium white is 100 to 500 extra credits, special editions are 200 to 400 extra credits, and “most paint colors” are 50 to 200 additional credits.

Finally, for purchases that were made until today at 3 p.m. EST, Psyonix will add credits to players’ accounts equal to the difference in the new cost of the items they acquired. In other words, items bought for more money two days ago will get their owners a credits refund, now that the item is cheaper for others who haven’t bought it.

Players in the Rocket League subreddit were grudgingly grateful, if not outright skeptical that this wasn’t Psyonix/Epic Games’ plan all along — start the blueprints system at a high enough price and, if the community complained, lower the prices and look like they were doing them a favor.

“You don’t spend months on pricing, only to have ‘the community outrage’ make you change your pricing within seven days of the release,” reasoned redditor eurostylin. Psyonix announced the change to blueprints back in October.

One user asked the Psyonix community manager how the original prices were determined. “Sorry, I cannot speak to that,” they replied. “Translation: Epic is now in charge,” said YNSLR.