The Top 5 Rocket League Tips That You Need To Know
Rocket League was popular when it was first released in 2015, but after going free-to-play in 2020, the game has been quickly gaining more and more traction. With an active player base of well over 200,000 and a fervent competitive eSports community, there’s no shortage of excitement surrounding this quirky multiplayer title. Season 3 of Rocket League just started, resulting in even more new players eager to learn the ropes.
Whether you’re one of those newcomers or you’ve been playing for years, we’ve crafted a list of Rocket League tips to help you improve your game. From tips that will reinforce your mechanics to strategies that will outwit opponents, these Rocket League tips will be vital for success in Season 3.
The Top 5 Rocket League Tips That You Need To Know: Our Top 5 Rocket League Season 3 Tips
- Adjust Your Camera Settings
This tip is purely for Rocket League newbies, and is the easiest thing you can do to drastically improve your overall play. While the default settings are passable, the camera often feels way too cramped and zoomed in, causing the gameplay to feel more visually chaotic than it already is. You don’t have to tinker with the settings too much, as just a few small changes will result in a world of difference.
First, disable the “camera shake” option, as this simply causes needless shaking whenever you hit the ball. Next, increase your field of view slider, which gives you a wider view of the playfield. Next, I recommend kick up the distance slider a tough or two, just so there’s a bit more space between the camera and your rear bumper. The angle, height, and camera stiffness settings can be fine-tuned to your personal preference, as they aren’t as big of a deal as the field of view and distance options. While it might take a bit of practice to get used to these new settings, your game will quickly improve due to the wider view.
- Don’t Neglect Training Drills or Free play
After a recent update, Rocket League now starts with a very simple tutorial that teaches you the ropes. Like many other gamers, you’ll likely play the beginning tutorial and then quickly jump into the full game, which can be a crucial error in Rocket League. On the mode selection screen, you’ll find a wealth of helpful drills and other tutorials in the Training section. In addition to basic offense, defense, and aerial drills, you can also play custom drills created by other Rocket League players. There’s also the ever-useful Free Play mode, which lets you drive around any arena of your choice and practice some shots.
Whether you’ve played Rocket League for 10 hours or 1,000 hours, you should never stop visiting the Training section. Even if you feel like you’ve mastered all of the included training drills, you should continuously check out new custom drills to challenge yourself. If you are ever sitting at the menu idly while waiting to join a match, jump into Free Play mode instead. You can practice a bit while you wait to find a game, which will help you warm up.
- Play Rumble and Dropshot Modes
Speaking of warming up, do not forget about the Extra Modes section, which contains the wackier match types. While some players choose to warm up with practice drills or casual matches, I find both Rumble and Dropshot modes to be incredibly good.
Rumble features a bunch of different power-ups, which results in fast-paced matches where mistakes are common. In this more playful mode, you should feel comfortable going for riskier shots, as you can always use a power-up if you whiff.
Dropshot is a mode that’s all about hitting the ball fast, with plays that usually end up in the air or on the wall. With regenerating boost and a bigger focus on passing, Dropshot will help you shake out your aerial nerves and get up to speed.
- Work on Your Ground Game and Dribbling
Everyone likes doing aerial tricks in Rocket League, it’s no secret. Watch any competitive tournament or freestyle video and you’ll see tons of flashy aerial moves that seem near impossible to perform. While it can be annoying to watch teammates and opponents whiff time and time again, you can use this to your advantage. Especially in lower rankings like Silver and Gold, a player with well-rounded dribbling skills and precision ground shots can decimate a player with middling aerial abilities.
Instead of spending countless hours trying to nail your first air dribble or double-tap, put some time into your proverbial footwork. If you can keep the ball on the roof of your car while moving in a precise yet smooth manner, you’ll be able to break ankles as you swerve through the competition.
Pepper in some more advanced moves like flicks and half-flips when you’re ready, and you’ll be a dribbling beast in no time. This tip is especially important in Rocket League Season 3, as more and more players have started abandoning traditional dribbling in favor of more complex aerial feats that rarely produce consistent goals.
- Stick to Rotation and Pay Attention to Your Teammates
If there’s one thing that every Rocket League player can always be working on, it’s their positional training and teamwork. Even in higher ranked games like Diamond and Champion, you’ll consistently find players who hog the ball, break rotation, and don’t act like good teammates. It’s this “carry the team to win” mentality that often results in poor team play, a breakdown of communication, and ultimately, a loss.
If you’re a new player and you don’t understand the concept of rotation as it pertains to team modes in Rocket League, look up any tutorial or guide to fill you in. Rotation can be hard to explain, as it’s a skill that develops over time and mostly involves your natural vibe with different teammates, so don’t feel too bad if you’re struggling to keep up.
A good rule of thumb is this – instead of always looking for a direct shot on goal, look at the playing field and consider your options. If a teammate is centered and the opposing team has left their goal open, performing a pass is probably better than running the ball up the field yourself.
Alternatively, if you see your teammates going on the offensive, it’s not a bad idea to back up and make sure there’s someone defending the goal. At any given time, try to execute a play that will put your team in a better position to score, even if you’re not the one who gets the goal. Unless you plan on playing 1v1s for your entire Rocket League career, working on your organic team skills will be vital in your success.