The Success of Rocket League by Muhammad Raza

  The Success of Rocket League

Rocket League, on the surface, seems like a very basic game: it entails two teams of 1-4 players trying their best to score goals with cars. There are some unique aspects to the game, such as the ability to boost or ride on walls, but aside from that, the concept is very simple. However, the fact that the game has been bought by Epic, one of the largest video game enterprises, and is a staple name among all gamers, means that there is definitely something about this seemingly repetitive game that has contributed to its success. As someone who has over 1700 lifetime wins in this game, I have a few theories as to why it is so popular. 

The first reason why I believe Rocket League is so popular is, actually, because of its simplicity. The game is very easy to pick up for new players because the concept isn’t hard to understand: it can be summarized by “soccer with cars”. There are also almost no special rules in Rocket League for most game modes, and winning is as simple as scoring more goals than your opponent. In terms of controls as well, the game follows basic car mechanics like stopping, starting, turning, and boosting with some additional controls. The fact that someone with no gaming knowledge can easily start with this game has definitely contributed to its success over its almost 10-year lifespan. 

The second reason why I believe that Rocket League is so popular is because of its high skill ceiling. Skill ceiling in a video game refers to how good the best players can be at the game compared to those who are less competitive. Games with high skill ceilings usually procure more play time because players know that they can always improve. While Rocket League is very simple, its skill ceiling is still very high due to the unique ways that players combine different mechanics. Furthermore, the game offers a ranked system for competitive players, which is accommodating for most people and is very rewarding to climb. This illustrates Rocket League’s appeal to both casual players and more serious gamers, which is a component of its popularity. 

The final reason for Rocket League being popular is simply the fact that it's a free game. Not much explanation is needed here, as free games tend to be more popular because players do not need to pay large amounts of money to get the game, nor do they have to pay for continuous PlayStation+ or Xbox Live subscriptions if they are on console. The game’s availability to everybody again highlights why it has become so popular and has had a continual player base for so long, and will most likely stay that way for years to come.