Rocket League, the popular vehicular soccer video game developed by Psyonix, was indeed removed from the Steam Store after Epic Games acquired Psyonix in May 2019. This acquisition led to some significant changes in how the game is distributed and made available to players.
One of the major changes that came with the acquisition was the decision to make Rocket League a free-to-play title. This means that players no longer need to purchase the game to play it, but instead, they can download and play it for free. The move to free-to-play was aimed at expanding the player base and increasing the game’s reach.
As part of this transition, Rocket League was made available exclusively on the Epic Games Store, which is owned by Epic Games. This move is not uncommon in the gaming industry, as acquiring exclusivity rights on a particular platform can be beneficial for both the developer and the platform owner.
The decision to remove Rocket League from the Steam Store was likely made to streamline the game’s distribution and focus on promoting and driving players towards the Epic Games Store. By making Rocket League exclusive to the Epic Games Store, Epic Games could leverage their own platform to attract new players and potentially increase revenue through their own ecosystem.
While this decision may have caused some inconvenience for players who were used to purchasing and playing Rocket League through Steam, it is important to note that the game is still readily available for free on the Epic Games Store. Players who previously purchased the game on Steam can still access and play it, but new players or those who wish to download the game for the first time will need to do so through the Epic Games Store.
It is worth mentioning that the move to free-to-play on the Epic Games Store has brought in a surge of new players to Rocket League. The game’s player base has significantly increased, and the transition seems to have been successful in terms of attracting a larger audience.
Rocket League is no longer available for purchase on the Steam Store since its acquisition by Epic Games. However, it is now free-to-play and can be downloaded and played exclusively through the Epic Games Store. Despite the inconvenience for Steam users, this change has allowed Rocket League to reach a wider audience and experience a boost in popularity.