Rocket League’s free Rumble mode rolls out today

As promised last month, Psyonix’s car-cage-ball ‘em up Rocket League will receive its new Rumble mode today. It comes free-of-charge and will feature in Online Playlists, as well as both Private and Exhibition matches.

Rumble will also grant players access to 11 randomised power-ups which include (deep breath): The Boot, which let’s you kick an opponent’s car; Disrupter, which forces your opponent to drive uncontrollably; Freezer, which freezes the ball in-situ; Grappling Hook, which pulls the ball closer to you; Haymaker, which punches the ball; Magnetizer, which attracts the ball towards you; Plunger, which grabs the ball via a plunger and cord.

There's more. Power Hitter, for example, allows you to hit everything harder than before; Spike attaches the ball to your car when you make contact with it; Swapper lets you switch positions with your opponent; and Tornado sweeps the ball and opposing cars into a funnel cloud.

The update also sees the introduction of Rocket League’s unlockable Crate and Keys system—said to help fund upcoming esports events and prize pools—which Andy reported on back in July. Here’s Psyonix on that:

“With this new optional system, random Crates will occasionally drop in Competitive matches and players can then purchase Keys to access their contents.

“These random, but exclusive Crate items can then be kept or traded with other players (another new feature in the update) and include everything from ‘Import’ Battle-Cars and unique animated Decals, to Exotic Wheels and other cool Garage accessories.”

Individual keys cost $1.49, says Psyonix, while bundles of five, ten, or 20 cost $5, $10, or $20 respectively (or their regional equivalent). Past examples of unlockable paid-for crates haven’t always impressed, however Psyonix has stated crates will “contain cosmetic content only” as part of its “strict ‘Don't Sell Advantage’ policy” prior to Crates and Keys' launch. As it's optional, players can also turn the feature off at will.