Limited Time Modes often shake up Rocket League’s tried and tested Soccar formula. But Knockout Bash is the most radical Rocket League LTM yet.
Rocket League Knockout Bash LTM
Running from 27 April to 10 May, Knockout Bash is a new LTM that removes the ball and goals, turning Rocket League into a Battle Royale car combat game.
Gone is Rocket League’s trademark team-based gameplay, replaced with a free-for-all event where eight players attack, block, and grab to knock each other off the platform. The last player standing wins.
Adding to the tension, Knockout doesn’t have unlimited respawns. Instead, players are eliminated after getting knocked out three times.
Surround the arena are Safezones. Players knocked out of the Safezone must return within ten seconds or they will be knocked out.
Throughout the match, the Safezone shrinks before entering Sudden KO after six minutes. In Sudden KO, every Attack or Throw is maxed out, and being knocked out of the Safezone results in instant KO.
There are hazards to avoid too, as touching spikes and laser grid results in an instant KO.
As well as the core attack, block, and grab moves, Knockout has secondary mechanics to master from stunning rivals to enemy lock-ons and triple jumps. Boosts are stronger than Soccar, allowing players to return to the platform.
New arenas
Knockout features three new arenas designed for the new battle mode: Calavera, Carbon, and Quadron. Be careful, because the walls and floors have worn away, so it’s easy to fall out the arena.
Challenge rewards
The Knockout update adds a new batch of challenge rewards. Players can unlock Spring-themed items like the Florescence Wheels, Monarch Boost, or the animated Flutterby Decal.
Golden Gift Baskets also unlock a mix of classic Items from the Victory, Accelerator, and Turbo Item Series.
Inspired by Super Smash Bros.
As Psyonix explains in a developer diary, Knockout Bash was inspired by an internal project called Crash Course. It featured a floating platform in space where you would try to knock other players off into space with powerups.
One of the developer’s favourite powerups turned opponents into a floating ball. Players would then have to recover and return to the map.
Ultimately, Psyonix created Soccar for Rocket League, but Knockout Bash brings back the original Crash Course map. When creating Knockout Bash, Psyonix was also inspired by car combat games like Twisted Metal and Vigilante 8 as well as brawlers such as Super Smash Bros and Power Stone.
Rocket League update 2.14 patch notes
The latest Rocket League patch is out now. In addition to the new Knockout Bash LTM, update 2.14 includes bug fixes for the UI, online chat, and engine audio. You can find a full list of changes in the Rocket League update 2.14 patch notes below.
Version: Rocket League v2.14
Platforms: Epic Games Store, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Steam, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
Scheduled Release: 4/26/2022, 4 p.m. PDT / 11 p.m. UTC
The Headlines
- Knockout Bash starts on April 27 at 9 a.m. PDT / 4 p.m. UTC!
- Learn more about the event and our new Knockout LTM here
Bug fixes
- After completing a match and returning to the main menu, fixed a bug preventing the game client from saving the previous selection for re-queue
- Fixed a UI bug preventing “Competitive” from appearing above the scoreboard when playing multiple consecutive Competitive matches
- Fixed a bug preventing access to the Change Mode/Match menu while watching a Replay
- Fixed a bug preventing chat during trading
- Dingo Engine Audio volume level has been fixed
- Fixed a bug with parental control preventing some players from seeing the "Allow All" in-game text chat option