Rocket League Fans are outraged by Epic Stores’ decision to kill 2nd hand trading to instead focus on selling items from the in-game store.
To specify, Kotaku details how Rocket League has grown a thriving set of 2nd hand skin stores, with players trading their skins to “friends for fun, to amass collections that can sell for hundreds of dollars, or temporarily lending rare items for a set duration of time before giving them back.”
Though Kotaku adds that this feature is similar to the lucrative trading of random cosmetics drops from Valve games like Counter-Strike and Team Fortress 2, Rocket League succeeded in creating a thriving in-game economy that kept people invested in the game for years.
However, in an attempt to make more money from Rocket League, Epic is removing this ability for players to trade and lend each other skins and force players to purchase from the Epic Store.
In a blog post, Rocket League devs Psyonix state that while “players will be able to trade their duplicate items back to Epic for a shot at another random cosmetic of a higher rarity…all Websites or servers advertising such services are fraudulent and have no connection to Psyonix or Epic Games.”
For such businesses as Rocket League Garage, which facilitates many trades within the community, “trading makes up about 90% of the usage of the RL Garage app/website,” essentially ending the beloved community service for trading skins.
This decision further extends to the community as Rocket League Garage points out that this change also impacts tournament planners, giveaway organizers, and community developers who rely on being able to create and give away skins.
Consequently, IGN notes this has stirred genuine outrage in social media, with thousands decrying Epic’s decisions as a game-ruining cash grab in the Rocket League Subreddit and over 18,000 people signing a petition to boycott Epic.
While a wave of negative backlash continues, this development still bodes ill for 3rd party businesses and organizations that made a living from Rocket League.
Though the game may endure this change, albeit with a dwindling, distrustful player base, the 2nd hand skin stores that thrived from and fed Rocket League’s success may shut down for good.
When Will Epic End 3rd Party Trading?
Epic plans to remove player-to-player trading on December 5th. While they may backpedal on their decision given the sheer volume and vitriol of the communities, no indication of such a decision has yet to come.
Frankly, Kotaku notes, given the recent announcement of Epic Games laying off 860 employees, including Fall Guys maker Mediatonic, Epic’s desperate attempts to generate revenue to keep its Fortnite empire afloat may take priority. And yet, with the drastically rising petition to boycott Epic, the parent company could concede to avoid such a humiliating turnout.
Further Reading
Want to stay up to date on the fate of Rocket League and other indie games? Give the articles below a read for more indie news and announcements.
- Dave the Diver Update adds Lobsters, Auto-Farming, and Seed Shop
- DREDGE Surpasses 1 Million Sales, Shocking the Devs
- Steam Next Fest Is Back With Hundreds of Free Demos
- Supernatural Roadtrip Roguelike Pacific Drive Announced for February - December 2, 2023
- Terraria Dev Announces Fishing Overhaul, Modding Update, and Spectator Mode - December 2, 2023
- Hollow Knight Fanmade Zoteboat DLC Announced - November 30, 2023