Rocket League Update Surprises Players With Some Big News

A new Rocket League update has some big news for those still playing the game on Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, and Xbox Series X. This week, speculation began to percolate that Psyonix and Epic Games were preparing to move the game to Unreal Engine 5, which would make sense given that Epic Games are the makers of Unreal Engine 5. The speculation was ignited by a job listing mentioning moving the game to the newest version of the Unreal Engine. Not long after this, a developer on Psyonix confirmed this is exactly what happening.

"Upgrading the technology that powers Rocket League, including a move to UE5, is something we are actively working on," said the developer over on Reddit. "This is a long-term project for us, and we'll share more details when we're ready to show our players what's coming next.

What "long-term project" indicates remains to be seen. The wording suggests this has been in the making for a while, but it doesn't necessarily mean this. For all we know, this work is just beginning. That said, if it was the latter, you'd think the developer would set expectations accordingly.

What also remains to be seen is what impact this will have on the game. An engine change can have a dramatic impact on the game. Whatever the case, fans of the game are excited.

IT'S HAPPENING!!!! IT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING!!!! pic.twitter.com/i5PCBBWLYy

— Ryan - a.k.a. Goldfish (@GoldfishRL) August 19, 2021

The news couldn't come at a better time for Psyonix, after a recent update to the game left players divided. There's also been scuttlebutt that interest in the game is waning. If this is true, an appreciable upgrade to the game made possible with the engine upgrade could prove timely for the game, which is now over six years old and competing with juggernauts like Fortnite, Apex Legends, and more for the time of PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, and PC gamers.

Rocket League is available, for free, via the Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, and Xbox Series X. For more coverage on the free-to-play game -- including all of the latest news, rumors, leaks, and speculation -- click here.