Rocket League developer Psyonix has a major change to the game’s monetization on the way that will see its loot box-like Crates removed from the game and replaced with a different, more transparent system before the end of the year.
Exactly what form that change will take is a little up in the air right now, but Psyonix explains that the system will somewhat resemble one implemented by parent company Epic Games in Fortnite Save the World earlier this year.
Specifically, Psyonix says that it is removing “all paid, randomized Crates from Rocket League, replacing them with a system that shows the exact items you’re buying in advance.” Other premium elements in the game, like Rocket Pass Premium, DLC cars, and the Esports Shop will remain unchanged once the new system kicks in.
In Fortnite Save the World, the original PvE version of Epic Games’ now-massive battle royale game, that more transparent system shows players a full list of the items contained within its ‘Llama’ loot boxes, and rotates those offerings daily.
Psyonix says their system will be somewhat similar in the long run, but says that more information on Rocket League’s version will be shared in the coming months.
The change itself was announced the day before the FTC kicks off the first leg of its loot box investigation, and comes only months after Psyonix itself was acquired by Fortnite dev Epic Games. But even before those recent developments Rocket League has had its own share of issues with loot boxes. The game is notably one of several that have had to alter the way it handles monetization in Belgium and the Netherlands to navigate local gambling legislation, alongside the likes of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and FIFA.