Support us on Patreon to keep GamingOnLinux alive. This ensures all of our main content remains free for everyone. Just good, fresh content! Alternatively, you can donate through PayPal. You can also buy games using our partner links for GOG and Humble Store.
We do often include affiliate links to earn us some pennies. See more here.

Psyonix, creator of Rocket League is joining Epic Games (updated)

By - | Views: 51,744

Epic Games don't seem to be just doing exclusives now, they're also pulling in studios with Psyonix (Rocket League) announcing today they're joining Epic Games. Yes, really.

It hasn't been completely confirmed just yet though, as they're waiting on "customary closing conditions", the usual legal stuff all things like this need to go through basically.

In the announcement post on their official site they said "Today is a big day for us here at Psyonix because, just as the headline says, we’re officially joining the Epic Games family.". Going into further detail, they said in the short term nothing will change but they do expect to release on the Epic Store and this will allow them to "leverage our new relationship to grow the game in ways we couldn’t do on our own before".

As a massive fan of Rocket League, being my current favourite and most played game in the last year this news has come as a little bit of a shock. For a number of reasons, for one Epic Games don't really care much about Linux and the Epic Store has no current plans to come to Linux. Not just that, we should take into account the reports about how awful it actually sounds to work for Epic Games with one person saying "It’s killing people" which really does make you think. It also puts Epic's CEO Tim Sweeney's comments across Twitter and various interviews, about how they're trying to change the PC gaming industry and make it better, into a rather different light.

The good news is that since Rocket League is well established on Steam, there should be no chance of it suddenly vanishing as that would be truly ridiculous. It means they also have access to a lot more resources, so hopefully Rocket League will continue to do well.

Update: Well, this could be a problem. According to The Verge, it will be removed from Steam. The press release they received said "The PC version of Rocket League will come to the Epic Games store in late 2019. In the meantime, it will continue to be available for purchase on Steam; thereafter it will continue to be supported on Steam for all existing purchasers,"—it's not entirely clear if that actually means it will be removed, so I've reached out for full confirmation but the wording really doesn't sound good.

Update #2: When asked on Twitter, the official Rocket League account told us "Hey there! More information will be shared in the future. Please check out our post about this on the Rocket League website: link" which of course wasn't helpful at all. Epic Games did not reply to my email as of yet, but they did send statements to other publications like USgamer where they said "We are continuing to sell Rocket League on Steam, and have not announced plans to stop selling the game there." and also "Rocket League remains available for new purchasers on Steam, and long-term plans will be announced in the future.".

So they aren't announcing plans to remove it from Steam, despite what early reports said but they're also being clear that they do have a long-term plan of which they're not talking about. That's one way to both clarify it and keep it ambiguous in case they do remove it from Steam. However, by long-term plans they might mean some sort of free to play release, supported by an expanded Rocket Pass, it could mean anything.

Update #3: Psyonix also added this additional note to their own announcement which reads "Editor’s Note: We wanted to clarify something for you after today’s news: Rocket League is and remains available on Steam. Anyone who owns Rocket League through Steam can still play it and can look forward to continued support. Thanks!".

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
29 Likes
About the author -
author picture
I am the owner of GamingOnLinux. After discovering Linux back in the days of Mandrake in 2003, I constantly came back to check on the progress of Linux until Ubuntu appeared on the scene and it helped me to really love it. You can reach me easily by emailing GamingOnLinux directly. Find me on Mastodon.
See more from me
The comments on this article are closed.
85 comments
Page: «9/9
  Go to:

Salvatos May 4, 2019
Quoting: melkemindThis ultimately speaks to a larger problem with gaming. If Rocket League were DRM-free and allowed people to create their own servers, it wouldn't matter if it left Steam. People could create and host their own leagues. If the game stops selling on Steam and complete functionality (connection to the network) is not maintained, it raises the question: Did we ever actually fully own the game in the first place?
I don't think that has ever been in question. Steam sells licenses to access specific parts of its service. You don't own the software.
Purple Library Guy May 4, 2019
Quoting: Salvatos
Quoting: melkemindThis ultimately speaks to a larger problem with gaming. If Rocket League were DRM-free and allowed people to create their own servers, it wouldn't matter if it left Steam. People could create and host their own leagues. If the game stops selling on Steam and complete functionality (connection to the network) is not maintained, it raises the question: Did we ever actually fully own the game in the first place?
I don't think that has ever been in question. Steam sells licenses to access specific parts of its service. You don't own the software.
I dunno. I play mostly single-player games, and I generally find that if I can't/don't feel like accessing Steam, they still play fine. As soon as you get into games that are designed to need outside services to do anything, you may find you can't do anything without the outside services Steam provides, but I'm not sure that can be described as Steam stopping you from owning the software.
Salvatos May 4, 2019
Quoting: Purple Library GuyI'm not sure that can be described as Steam stopping you from owning the software.
Their terms are pretty clear about it (emphasis mine):

QuoteAs a Subscriber you may obtain access to certain services, software and content available to Subscribers. The Steam client software and any other software, content, and updates you download or access via Steam, including but not limited to Valve or third-party video games and in-game content, software associated with Hardware and any virtual items you trade, sell or purchase in a Steam Subscription Marketplace are referred to in this Agreement as "Content and Services;" the rights to access and/or use any Content and Services accessible through Steam are referred to in this Agreement as "Subscriptions."

(...)

You become a subscriber of Steam ("Subscriber") by completing the registration of a Steam user account.

(...)

Steam and your Subscription(s) require the download and installation of Content and Services onto your computer. Valve hereby grants, and you accept, a non-exclusive license and right, to use the Content and Services for your personal, non-commercial use (except where commercial use is expressly allowed herein or in the applicable Subscription Terms). This license ends upon termination of (a) this Agreement or (b) a Subscription that includes the license. The Content and Services are licensed, not sold.
Salvatos May 5, 2019
Quoting: devnullYour access through steam is a subscription based product that is correct, not all content you purchase is however.

That's not what I read:
QuoteThe Steam client software and any other software, content, and updates you download or access via Steam, including but not limited to Valve or third-party video games and in-game content, software associated with Hardware and any virtual items you trade, sell or purchase in a Steam Subscription Marketplace are referred to in this Agreement as "Content and Services;"
Salvatos May 6, 2019
Quoting: devnull
Quoting: SalvatosThat's not what I read:
Quote[...] you download or access via Steam [...]

Valve does NOT have rights over you for titles not purchased on Steam nor accessed outside Steam. They DO have control of their platform.
Yes, obviously?
While you're here, please consider supporting GamingOnLinux on:

Reward Tiers: Patreon. Plain Donations: PayPal.

This ensures all of our main content remains totally free for everyone! Patreon supporters can also remove all adverts and sponsors! Supporting us helps bring good, fresh content. Without your continued support, we simply could not continue!

You can find even more ways to support us on this dedicated page any time. If you already are, thank you!
The comments on this article are closed.