Skip to main content

Watch us try out Rocket League’s Anniversary Update live at 4 p.m. PT


Rocket League rolled out on July 7, 2015, and quickly became a favorite of competitive and casual gamers for its almost absurdly simple premise. It’s soccer with cars, and the cars have rockets. Two years on, we’re still working toward the top of the game’s high skill cap, and frequent updates — both paid and free — have kept things fresh. Now, we’re ringing in the Rocket League Anniversary Update with a live-stream, and possibly a cold beverage.

There’s a lot of new content coming in what appears to be a fairly major update. There’s a new standard arena, the Champions Field, which features a humongous Rocket League trophy, three seating tiers, and spectacular lighting. There are two new cars as well, the Animus GP and Centio V17, both of which resemble low-slung race cars. The cars, along with a bevy of new customization items, including goal explosions, will be rolling out in the new Overdrive crate. Like most Rocket League updates, there are also six new achievements to unlock.

Fans of Rick and Morty can look forward to some free customization options included with the anniversary update as well. There are toppers, antennas, and even a rocket trail and set of tires based on the sci-fi cartoon, part of an effort by show’s creators to get the characters into a bunch of different video games.

Wubba Lubba Dub Dub!!! @RickandMorty are coming to Rocket League in our 2nd Anniversary Update! Learn more: https://t.co/tuLqUQXHS2 pic.twitter.com/bcPBqX5Fhn

— Rocket League (@RocketLeague) June 28, 2017

There are also some changes coming to the competitive seasons. The anniversary updates marks the end of competitive season 4, and the beginning of Season 5, which Psyonix says will also last three or four months. Those who ranked in the previous season will receive new trails based on their performance. This marks a new type of customization that allows players to change their trail at supersonic speed independently from the regular trails left while driving.

Finally, Psyonix reworked the audio engine, and added engine audio to some cars that didn’t have unique noises before. The team has introduced another customization option there, allowing players to change each car’s audio profile. Psyonix also teamed up with record label Monstercat to bring 18 new tracks to the in-game radio.

We don’t have full patch notes yet, so there may still be some fun surprises waiting for us once we actually dive into the Rocket League anniversary update later today. Make sure to join us at 4 p.m. PT for some live-streamed matches with our Digital Trends staff at the wheel. Also keep an eye out for Rocket League on the Nintendo Switch later this year.

Brad Bourque
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Brad Bourque is a native Portlander, devout nerd, and craft beer enthusiast. He studied creative writing at Willamette…
Earth Defense Force 6 just removed its controversial requirement
The Diver class in Earth Defense Force 6.

While the response to Earth Defense Force 6, the latest in the gory sci-fi shooter series, has been generally positive, many PC users had complaints, specifically about how they were required to sign in with an Epic Games account to play online co-op.

The developers have good news for those players. On Thursday, developer Sandlot released a small update on Steam that removed that requirement. Now you can play online missions without the account. "This application has been modified so that you can play online missions without signing into your Epic Games Account," the post reads.

Read more
3 new Xbox Game Pass games you should play this weekend (October 4-6)
Sifu's main character at age 70 in Sifu.

Later this month, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will receive its biggest day-one release ever with Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. Until then, we'll have to bide the time with other recently added Xbox Game Pass games. Thankfully, multiple games came to Microsoft's subscription service during Tokyo Game Show in September and one particular highlight just landed this week. If you're looking for something to play this weekend, these are the games you should be looking for on Xbox Game Pass.
Sifu
Sifu | Sloclap | Night Club Gameplay Teaser | PS4, PS5 & PC

Sloclap's Sifu is an intense action game with intricate hand-to-hand combat that feels like it could've been pulled right out of John Wick or a classic kung fu movie. It's incredibly satisfying for that reason alone, but Sifu's most unique hook happens when players die. With each death, players get a little more powerful but age up and lose a bit of health. This gives Sifu a one-of-a-kind difficulty curve because it gets easier and more difficult in different ways with each death. With lots of content and accessibility updates under its belt at this point, you'll have a fantastic time checking out the complete version of Sifu now if you've never played it before. Sifu is available to Game Pass subscribers across PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox Cloud Gaming. It's also on PS4, PS5, and Nintendo Switch.
We Love Katamari Reroll+ Royal Reverie
We Love Katamari REROLL+ Royal Reverie - Xbox Game Pass Trailer

Read more
3 new PS Plus games you should play this weekend (October 4-6)
Ellie and Riley look at each other in The Last of Us Part 1's version of Left Behind.

It's October, so it's finally time to start watching more horror movies and playing more horror video games to get in a spooky mood. Thankfully, recent additions to PS Plus are making it very easy to settle into that vibe. On top of that, a wrestling video game has just hit PlayStation Plus Essential ahead of the last big WWE events of the year. All of that has informed my picks for the three games PS Plus subscribers should check out this weekend.
The Last of Us Part I
The Last of Us Part I - Announce Trailer | PS5 Games

At this point, The Last of Us is so iconic that it needs little introduction. It was a landmark horror video game that set new standards for video game narrative with its tale about Joel and Ellie. It was originally released for PS3 in 2013 and remastered for PS4 in 2014. The Last of Us Part I is a remake built for PS5. It gives the entire game a visual overhaul and adds accessibility features and an overall game feel to bring the adventure more in line with its 2020 sequel. If you haven’t played The Last of Us yet, you need to try it out now that the definitive version of it is on PS Plus.

Read more