Psyonix has been on a roll with Rocket League. The indie studio hasn't let up when it comes to introducing new content and new ways to play the game. They've kept up the momentum with the announcement of the new Starbase ARC, which features a new vehicle and map.
According to the press release, the Starbase ARC is based on Psyonix's own mobile title, ARC Squadron. The little known game will make its first appearance in Rocket League with the free arena map and a premium DLC vehicle called the Vulcan, as outlined over on the official website. The rest of the update includes:
• Steam Workshop support with Unreal Engine 3 UDK asset support.
• Arena Preference Selector to like or dislike arenas after playing them to move them up or down the playlist
• Champion Series IV Crate that features garage items, decals, exotic wheels and other goods to help pay for the e-sports leagues.
• Two Variant Arenas for Wasteland and Utopia Coliseum, turning one into a night stage and the other snowy.
• Redesigned SARPBC vehicles with visual upgrades and redesigns
• Colorblind Mode for those who are visually impaired, creating a high-contrast orange and blue shade during gameplay to help players better identify objects/cars
• Custom Training Mode is also added in there as a free new mode that allows for customized training
The most important part of the update is the fact that it features Steam Workshop support. This will allow gamers to create their own arenas and levels for Rocket League, similar to what's featured in the game already.
The one thing that really stands out about this feature is that players could theoretically make all new levels that completely change the way you play Rocket League.
For instance, in games like Garry's Mod they've created all new game modes using the Steam Workshop for platforming alternatives like the Deathrun series, or Trouble In Terrorist Town, or the prop hunt modes. There are a lot of different variants made for games like Garry's Mod that keep people coming back and playing them for years on end. It's one of the reasons people love Valve games so much and why titles like Team Fortress 2 have been able to maintain such a strong community for so long.
Psyonix sees the writing on the wall and instead of blocking off access to the content or restricting how players can engage and play (similar to what EA and DICE have done with the Battlefield series, which originally had its roots and popularity grounded in the modding scene) they decided to embrace the community by opening up Rocket League with full modding support and Steam Workshop support.
The free arena update, free training mode with custom editing options, the new Steam Workshop support, and the premium vehicle will surely see a lot of fans happy in the Rocket League community as the new content is now available to engage with. If you own the game the update should have automatically installed, but if you don't own the game you can pick up a digital copy right now.
