Best answer: Nope! As Psyonix prepares to make Rocket League a free-to-play game, players on PS4 and Nintendo Switch won't need an online subscription in order to play the game online. This shouldn't come as much of a shock, as other free-to-play games on PlayStation 4 (including Fortnite and Warfare) also don't require a PS Plus subscription to play online, but it's still great news nonetheless.
- Going free soon: Rocket League ($20 at PlayStation)
- Grab some discounts: Playstation Plus: 12-Month Membership ($60 at Amazon)
What is PS Plus, and what do I need to play Rocket League?
PlayStation Plus is a subscription service that allows players to play certain games online, along with giving them access to a ton of premium features. Some of the biggest extras include discounts on various games, access to special sales, and two free games every month.
While PS Plus is certainly a worthwhile investment to some, you won't need much of anything to play Rocket League once it goes free-to-play. Simply having a working internet connection will suffice, as all you'll have to do is download Rocket League from the PlayStation Store in order to play any of its modes.
When does Rocket League go free-to-play?
Psyonix has been detailing what players can expect to find in the latest Rocket League update, but, unfortunately, there isn't any concrete information as to when exactly the free-to-play transition is taking place. We know that it will happen at some point in September, but just when in the month is anyone's guess. Luckily, we don't have an incredibly long time to wait.
What other changes are coming to Rocket League?
Alongside transitioning the game to free-to-play, Psyonix is also giving Rocket League some major upgrades. According to the developers in a recent blog post, the seasonal schedule of Rocket League will soon get streamlined, with Competitive Seasons, Competitive Tournaments, and Rocket Pass matches all following the same schedule.
Elsewhere, new competitive ranks are being added into the game, with Grand Champion getting split into three different tiers, and a new highest rank — Supersonic Legend — getting included. Both Grand Champion and Supersonic Legend will have their own rewards at the end of a season, including rank-specific titles. Psyonix has also confirmed that a new tutorial, quick chats, and much more are coming when the update hits, so there's tons to look forward to for players of any skill level.
Bumper to ball
Rocket League allows players to embrace their inner "what-if" and play soccer with cars, encouraging players to pull off crazy trick shots with reverse flips off the dome ceiling and other crazy stunts.
For online gamers and everyone in between
For $60 per year, PlayStation Plus is well worth the multitude of benefits that you get with it, the most important being access to online multiplayer and a couple of free games each month.
