A statement from Psyonix suggests that indie hit Rocket League will be coming to the Xbox One in the near future, on time for its scheduled February release.
The Xbox One version of the surprise hit that first garnered gamer interest on the PS4 and PC remains on track to launch in the middle of February, Psyonix has said, and if that's going to change it appears that it will be an earlier release rather than a later one. When asked by a fan about the game's release on Xbox One, the official Rocket League Twitter account replied that Psyonix was going through the certification process now, with mid-February still the expected launch date.
The Xbox One edition of Rocket League was announced during the Game Awards 2015 in December of last year, which saw the immensely popular car and soccer hybrid win Indie Game of the year against some incredible competition, beating out both Undertale and Her Story for the award. The Xbox One version of the game will come bundled with three expansion packs in Chaos Run, Supersonic Fury, and the amusingly named Revenge of the Battle-Cars. To sweeten the deal for Microsoft gamers, Psyonix is also including exclusive content themed around popular Xbox One exclusives like Halo and Gears of War.
Unfortunately for Xbox One players with friends on other platforms, however, the version of Rocket League for Xbox One won't feature cross-platform play. When asked about why such an appealing feature wasn't being included, Psyonix replied that the "Xbox platform doesn't allow for crossplay", which confused gamers even more, since Fable: Legends is set to feature PC and Xbox One cross-platform multiplayer in the near future. It's possible that Psyonix meant it couldn't bring PS4 and Xbox One players together because of the renewed competition between the two consoles after a long period of PS4 dominance, however.
It's no surprise that Psyonix's game, equal parts soccer simulator and demolition derby, would eventually find its way on to the Xbox One. Rocket League earned over $50 million in sales last year despite a relatively low-profile release, and it has remained popular even now thanks to its fun, frenetic gameplay and the short time commitment required to play a few multiplayer matches.
Of course, the lack of commitment needed in booting up Rocket League and dunking on opponents with flipping cars and giant mechanical balls is part of the game's charm. At least one Game Rant writer felt that Rocket League was the Game of the Year in 2015, citing how playing the game felt like a much-needed break from the intensity and grind found in the massive worlds of Fallout 4 and The Witcher 3.
How do you feel about Rocket League, and are you still playing? Are you a Xbox One gamer exclusively and can't wait to get your hands on Psyonix's quirky hit? Let us know in the comments below.
Rocket League is currently available for PS4 and PC, with a release on Xbox One scheduled for mid-February.