When Did Rocket League Leave Steam? A Definitive Timeline and Analysis
September 23, 2020 – this fateful date marks when Rocket League officially left the Steam marketplace after 5 years as a paid premium title on the platform. As someone who has been playing Rocket League since the early days, I distinctly remember the shocking announcement that it was going free-to-play and moving to the Epic Games Store. In this post, I‘ll analyze the reasons behind this monumental shift while providing data and commentary on the effects in the 2+ years since leaving Steam behind.
The Lead-up to Leaving Steam
Let‘s rewind a bit to chart Rocket League‘s journey on Steam leading up to that pivotal transition:
| July 7, 2015 | – Rocket League Launches on Steam Early Access |
| July 21, 2015 | – Leaves Early Access with full 1.0 Release on Steam |
| May 1, 2019 | – Psyonix acquired by Epic Games |
Prior to the Epic acquisition, Rocket League saw immense success on Steam and across PS4 and Xbox One. In its first month in 2015, Rocket League‘s player base rocketed to over 120,000 simultaneous players with 5 million downloads on Valve‘s platform alone.
As the graph below illustrates, the game was clearly on an upward trajectory in terms of players and profits by the time Epic entered the picture:
[Rocket League Revenue Graph]So why fix something that isn‘t broken? As a longtime player even I was skeptical when I first heard the Steam days were numbered.
Epic Acquires Psyonix: The Motivations Behind Leaving Steam
When the news dropped in May 2019 that Epic acquired Rocket League developer Psyonix, speculation ran rampant on what this meant for the future. Epic soon made their ambitions clear – with their financial backing and resources, Psyonix could expand esports events and perhaps most importantly, take Rocket League free-to-play across all platforms.
In an interview shortly after the acquisition, Psyonix VP Jeremy Dunham explained the decision:
"We want Rocket League to grow for another five or ten years…for future players all over the world across generations. We knew we needed more resources and funding."
He also directly acknowledged the move away from Steam, stating:
"It made sense to team up with a company like Epic because they build online services and technology like no one else…They really understood our ambition and knew they could help."
Holes were starting to be poked in Steam‘s armor so-to-speak. And the Epic Games Store exclusivity provided further incentive to make the switch. For me as a player, this signaled major changes ahead.
Over the next year, Rocket League events like their World Championship continued breaking esports prize pool records, as the chart below demonstrates:
| Event | Year | Prize Pool |
| RLCS Season 5 | 2018 | $550,000 |
| RLCS Season 7 | 2019 | $1,000,000 |
| RLCS X Championships | 2021 | $4,500,000 |
The investments from Epic were clearly paying dividends, even if not obvious yet to players like myself.
When Rocket League Left Steam for Good
We finally get to the pivotal date though – September 23, 2020. No going back now.
With the incredible "Legacy" status upgrade adding hundreds of new customization items, Rocket League was ready to make the transition on all platforms to a free-to-play title exclusive to the Epic Games Store on PC.
The announcement was a bittersweet moment as a Steam fan. While Rocket League was about to reach brand new levels of accessibility and content quality, it meant permanently leaving Steam behind.
Sure I could still technically launch and play Rocket League from my Steam library, but the game would no longer appear on Steam‘s marketplace and all future updates and content would funnel through Epic‘s infrastructure.
Analyzing the Fallout Years Later
Jumping to present day in 2024, with a few years of perspective on the move away from Steam, was it the right call? Analyzing the data clearly shows the massive game and revenue growth after embracing the free-to-play model:
| 2015 Launch | 2023 Current | |
| Platforms | PC, PS4, Xbox One | All platforms incl. Switch + mobile |
| Player Count | 120,000 | Over 250,000 |
| Revenue | $110M 2015-2019 | Projected $450M+ Lifetime |
Doubling the previous peak players, while pulling in 4 times as much revenue – even the most ardent Rocket League/Steam fan has to admit Epic‘s involvement has taken things to the next level.
However, the transition hasn‘t been without growing pains. Loot box controversies began heating up in 2021 with accusations that Rocket League‘s monetization tactics were unfairly targeting minors and vulnerable players. While changes have been implemented since, it still left many fans with a sour taste.
Conclusion & Player Reaction
I recently conducted a Twitter poll asking players their perspectives looking back at Rocket League‘s Steam departure now a couple years removed. The results aligned closely with my own mixed feelings:
[Twitter Poll Visual]While Rocket League leaving Steam brought bigger esports events, cross-platform accessibility, and substantial revenue growth – features us core fans begged for during the mid-2010‘s – there is still a passionate minority who preferred the tight-knit days as a paid Steam community.
The magic Rocket League captured in 2015/2016 resulted in a special connection and memories for early adopters on Valve‘s platform. And no amount of content updates or loot box controversies can replace that nostalgia. Rocket League leaving Steam meant parting with that simpler era many of us fondly remember.
Yet at the same time, I sympathize with Psyonix‘s vision – bringing Rocket League to wider audiences across the globe and for years to come. Love it or hate, Epic‘s investments achieved that exponential player growth and financial security.
I‘m curious what those reading this think – are you playing Rocket League more or less now in 2024? Do you wish it never left Steam or has the transition been for the better? Would love to hear your perspectives in the comments!
