Rocket League fans are in an uproar as news of the removal of player-to-player trading rocks the community. One of the game's unique features was the ability to trade items with fellow players, many players used this to obtain cosmetics they desired while trading duplicates accumulated over countless hours of gameplay. Regrettably, player-to-player trading is slated for complete removal later this year.
When December rolls around, Rocket League players will no longer have the option to trade cosmetic items with one another. Psyonix explained that this decision was influenced by the cosmetic policies of parent company Epic Games, which restrict sales and only permit in-game trades.
Player-to-player trading to be removed from Rocket League in December 2023
On 10 October, the Psyonic team delivered news that stunned the Rocket League community: Player-to-Player Trading will be removed from Rocket League on 5 December at 4 PM PST / 7 PM EDT / 12 AM BST.
According to the post, this drastic decision aligns with Epic’s overarching stance on game cosmetics and item shop policies, where items aren’t tradable, transferable, or sellable. Furthermore, it opens up “future plans for some Rocket League vehicles to come to other Epic games over time, supporting cross-game ownership.”
However, it's widely known that Epic Games has faced financial challenges, spending more money than it's been generating, and even resorting to a significant layoff of 900 employees in an effort to stabilise its finances. This has led many to speculate that the decision to remove player-to-player trading in Rocket League may be financially motivated, as it eliminates one potential revenue stream they were previously missing out on.
This announcement was met with instant and widespread disapproval. It's worth noting that, following Epic's acquisition of Psyonix, they retired the crate and key system. Crates now yield blueprints which can be crafted by spending Credits, the new premium currency. Psyonix also introduced an Item Shop, offering a rotating selection of cosmetics directly purchasable with Credits.
With the shift to blueprint, player-to-player trading lost some traction. However, players have continued to acquire rare items through trades, often relying on fan-made website Rocket League Garage for these transactions.
Rocket League fans have taken to social media to voice their discontent. "Psyonix and Epic making the worst decisions possible for Rocket League," laments Azfura on Twitter (X). The prevailing sentiment seems to be "Why, though?"
"RIP Rocket League Garage," writes u/OpticalIllusion_ on Reddit. "They really want this game to die, huh," replies u/DshadoW10. “This is absolute bs.”, u/MuskratAtWork adds, “Still z e r o communication or care for the community at all. Just a cash grab at this point. All [they] care about is selling product and items and no care at all for the health of gameplay or the community.”
Many players have expressed that trading played a significant role in their enjoyment of the game, and are disheartened that things have come to this.
The Psyonix team also included a FAQ in their announcement. For the complete FAQ, you can refer to this link. For those who have been playing Rocket League since launch, you may want to take advantage of the player-to-player trading system ahead of 5 December.