In short: Epic Video games has developed a behavior of shopping for smaller studios and changing their video games’ enterprise fashions to resemble its mega-hit Fortnite. Many Rocket League gamers are dissatisfied with the method as Epic considerably altered the sport’s financial system by eradicating player-to-player merchandise buying and selling.

Beginning December 5 at 4 p.m. PST, Rocket League gamers can now not commerce gadgets with different gamers. The coverage change has sparked protests from the Rocket League neighborhood, as buying and selling has been a core gameplay factor for years.

The one buying and selling allowed would be the change of Core Objects, Event Objects, and Blueprints for random gadgets of higher rarity. Moreover, gamers can now not lend gadgets, and Epic considers all third-party buying and selling websites illegitimate. Nonetheless, the sport will honor beforehand accomplished player-to-player trades.

The change will align Rocket League with Epic’s different video games, which do not enable buying and selling, transferring, or promoting cosmetics. The corporate says that this may finally allow gamers to make use of owned gadgets throughout Rocket League and its different titles, probably Fortnite and Fall Guys.

The coverage change marks one other step in Rocket League’s transformation since Epic acquired its developer, Psyonix, in 2019. The next 12 months, Epic made the sport free-to-play and its PC model unique to the Epic Video games Retailer, delisting it from Steam. Fall Guys underwent the identical course of after Epic purchased Mediatonic Video games in 2021.

A Change.org petition demanding that Epic retain participant buying and selling is approaching 10,000 signatures. Many customers suspect the corporate is making an attempt to drive extra gamers to buy gadgets immediately, as buying sure uncommon gadgets turns into considerably tougher with out buying and selling. Some predict that customers will reply by as an alternative promoting total accounts.

One other potential drawback is that a few of Rocket League’s achievements require buying and selling, making them unimaginable to unlock after December 5, though Psyonix will probably take away or substitute the affected achievements. Protesters have additionally taken the chance to criticize Epic’s general therapy of Rocket League since buying Psyonix.

It is unclear how the sturdy response will have an effect on Epic’s choice, however it makes for extra dangerous press that Epic would not want proper now. After arguably investing an excessive amount of, too rapidly, the corporate laid off nearly 900 staff final month and divested Bandcamp, doubtlessly endangering the distinctive, DRM-free indie music retailer. Banning Rocket League’s merchandise buying and selling to push additional monetization might be an effort to tighten the corporate’s funds amid its present state of affairs.