What’s the one thing more enjoyable than playing soccer in a rocket-powered car? That’s right: playing on a beach, blasting ’80s synth-pop while doing so. Fortunately, Psyonix knows this, and their latest update for Rocket League Patch v1.45 kicks off the summer season by taking us to the beach. Along with marking the beginning of Competitive Season 8, the update also introduces the new Salty Shores arena.
Catch some surf at Salty Shores
Salty Shores takes the game to a breezy paradise, just in time for the hot summer sun. This sandy arena is neighbored by a vibrant coastal skyline and beach pier. Fluffy clouds float overhead in a picturesque blue sky as the competing cars whizz and collide below. New music by Monstercat completes the aesthetic by providing thumping synth bass lines and retro dance grooves. Imagine the vibe of Out Run mixed with the gameplay of Rocket League and you’re halfway there. The one thing missing from this theme is that the standard ball has not been replaced by a beach ball, which, if we’re being honest, is the greatest disappointment of 2018 thus far.
The start of summer and season 8
Aside from the new arena, this update heralds the end of Competitive Season 7 and the beginning of Season 8. As usual, players received exclusive titles and items corresponding with their highest rank from the season. The rewards for this past season include Player Banners and Goal Explosions. Continuing the familiar pattern of prior seasons, the server has had a soft reset and players must once again do their placement matches before they can begin Season 8 proper. There have been slight adjustments to the way the soft reset affects player ranking, however, as Psyonix states:
The soft reset will no longer compress Champion Tier players skill downwards. Instead, only Grand Champions will be compressed down to the top end of the Champion 3 skill range.
In addition, a new “Report Server” feature allows players to report problematic servers from within the mid-game menu. Hopefully this will help curb some of the nastier behavior people may experience online. Psyonix did not specify what behavior they are looking for specifically, but note that they will investigate reported servers.
Dress your best & hit the beach
Lastly, If you’re interested in cosmetics, the new Impact Crate has plenty of fresh loot in store. There are ten new flags based on the collaboration with musician Monstercat, one of which has the questionable name of “Stephen Walking.” There are also two new items based on Reddit user Shitty_Watercolour‘s aptly-titled paintings. These are joined by four new decals for your existing cars and three new toppers. If you skipped working on your beach bod because you were too busy playing Rocket League, at least you can dress your car up to look good.
These changes are accompanied by the usual round of bug fixes and performance updates. What are your thoughts on the new content? The update went live on Tuesday, May 29, so head outdoors and soak up some rays. If you’d prefer to stay inside, you can read the full details of the patch by visiting Psyonix’s website.
