One million concurrent players – Why Rocket League profits from Free-to-Play

Rocket League went Free-To-Play and the effects have been noticeable immediately. But why does Rocket League profit this much from it?

On September 23 Psyonix flipped the switch and transitioned Rocket League to a Free-To-Play model.

Just a day later the game made it past a million concurrent players despite struggling servers.

A move towards Free-To-Play had become more probable in 2019 after Epic Games acquired Psyonix since Epic’s Fortnite exploded in popularity with the very same model.

Rocket League is easy to understand

Rocket League was never locked behind a high paywall. Often ranging around $20, it was even completely free just after release in 2015 on PlayStation Plus. But with the last entrance barrier to the game removed, Rocket League has a whole new reach.

The game is not only accessible for all ages, it also boasts a simple principle: Two teams in cars try to play football. Every new player can grasp that concept and there is no need for lengthy explanations of mechanics and other things like in MOBA titles. But even with the simple concept Rocket League still has considerable depth and it is very difficult to be good at the game.

Almost no cheaters

Another advantage that Rocket League enjoy in its new Free-to-Play era is the lack of a noticeable cheater presence. Especially in comparison to other free titles like FPS titles or Battle Royales the lack of rage inducing hackers is a big plus.

Rocket League simply does not offer much avenue for cheating. A very important factor as the never-ending struggle of developers against cheaters in Call of Duty, Counter-Strike or VALORANT can attest to.

This all results in Rocket League avoiding the pitfalls of many other free titles.

Esport-wise Rocket League has an established pro league with the RLCS and other organisers such as ELEAGUE are also involved in the scene. But viewership has remained low in comparison to big titles like CS:GO or LoL. The Free-to-Play era might be just the last push Rocket League needed to establish itself among the more popular esport titles.

The writing is still on the wall for the long term effects of the new model for Rocket League, but for now the prospects are looking great.

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