Rocket League Brings Back One of Its Most Hectic Game Modes

Psyonix has removed Rocket League’s fan-favorite Spike Rush game mode and has replaced it with [...]

By Tanner Dedmon

Psyonix has removed Rocket League's fan-favorite Spike Rush game mode and has replaced it with Heatseeker, a game mode that's one of the most hectic playlists players have ever seen in the game. It's a mode where all it takes is one touch for the ball to go soaring towards the opposing team's goal which means players have to completely rethink their normal Rocket League strategies to be successful. It's live from now until January 4th at which point it'll likely be cycled out for a different game mode.

The return of Rocket League's Heatseeker mode was announced on Twitter this week whenever the game mode made its return on Tuesday. For those who weren't around for the past appearances of Heatseeker, the game mode's twist is that the ball will automatically head towards the opposing goal when it's touched. This means that there's less of an emphasis on handling the ball and making it go exactly where you want and more of a focus on defensive measures.

"In Heatseeker, the ball will automatically seek the opposing net once it's hit," Psyonix said about the game mode when it was first announced. "But, make sure you don't miss the goal! If the ball hits the backboard, it will fire back toward your goal. Make sure to think fast, because every time the ball is touched by a player or a backboard, it gains speed! First team to seven goals wins."

A defensive meta emerged in this game mode the last few times it was around where players largely guarded their own nets since the ball does a lot of the work on its own, so that'll likely continue now that the mode is back again. Demolitions were therefore a big part of the mode as well as players looked to clear defenders from the goals, so expect that to be a popular tactic again as well.

Rocket League kicked off Season 2 not long ago and announced plans to incorporate more non-traditional game modes throughout the season through its Rocket Labs feature. Rocket Labs were around previously in Rocket League before being removed long before the seasons reset, and Psyonix said Rocket Labs "will be added periodically throughout Season 2."

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