Rocket League is getting a limited-time Deathmatch mode.
Developer Psyonix is removing the ball in its new Knockout Bash mode, as destroying other players becomes the only goal.
The eight-player dogfight mode was revealed in a PlayStation blog post and will introduce new mechanics including attacking, blocking, and grabbing.
The event lasts only two weeks from April 27th to May 10th, but there are many tailor-made maps with various obstacles such as giant spires.
The map also features a “kill zone” where players must force opponents to victory using new attack, grab and block mechanics, directly inspired by fighting games.
“We thought it would be fun if each action played with the other like rock, paper, scissors,” says Psyonix programmer Sky Breen, who was part of the team that developed Knockout Bash. “This way, if players can predict the moves others are planning to use, they can be smarter than others.”
Psyonix’s new mode “absolutely breaks the rules,” Breen said, “but we hope players will really enjoy all the changes and additions we’ve made.”
Rocket League was first released in 2015 and has undergone numerous updates since then, including adding new modes far from its football roots.
It’s done with ice hockey, basketball, and even American football, but Knockout Bash is the first time Psyonix is completely out of sports and doesn’t include any balls or goals.
In our 9/10 review, IGN said: “Rocket League is a dynamic hybrid of arcade driving and sports, with a high skill ceiling and endless personality.”
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers tweeting @thelastdinsdale. He would talk about wizards all day.
