Rocket League’s latest update introduces new mode and fourth competitive season

One of the most-played PC games of 2016 is getting even more content.

Psyonix is rolling out a new mode and starting season four of its competitive season for its breakout indie car soccer game Rocket League. The biggest new feature from the studio in this update is a free mode called Dropshot that once again remixes how players will slam their vehicles around a playfield. Rocket League has grown into a mammoth success since its debut in 2015. While it caught the attention of many players due to its debut as a “free” game for PlayStation 4 consumers who subscribed to Sony’s PS Plus service, it has turned into a megahit on PC where it is regularly among the top games ranked by the number of simultaneous players. Today, Rocket League is the fifth most-played game on the Steam PC gaming portal behind Dota 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, H1Z1: King of the Kill, and Grand Theft Auto V.

In Dropshot, you play on a hexagonal grid, but instead of trying to conquer Europe, your goal is to destroy the floor panels on the opposing team’s side of the map. You then score points by getting the ball into the craters you create. It takes two shots from a ball to destroy a floor panel, so this mode will reward players who are best at controlling their rocket-powered automobiles in the air.

Aerial attacks are even more important because the ball in Dropshot changes its phase depending on how long it stays off the ground. If you are able to juggle the ball, it charges up to a second and then third stage of destructive power. With power-level two, the ball will damage a seven-hexagon area instead of just one. The third phase, meanwhile, will put the hurt on a massive 19 panels.

In addition to Dropshot, Psyonix is beefing up other aspects of Rocket League. Expect new achievements and trophies as well as new car bodies and rocket trail effects. The developer is also paying a ton of attention to its hardcore esports scene, which typically attracts hundreds of thousands of viewers on livestreaming sites like Twitch. The update may potentially build on the game’s popularity as an esport because Rocket League will now have a button dedicated to providing players with info on the results of Rocket League esports matches. Psyonix is also starting the fourth competitive season, which will introduce a completely new Skill Tier hierarchy that players should find more fair.