Psyonix, almost two years after the introduction of loot boxes in Rocket League, revealed how the drop drop system works. Fans of the game complained that it was worth telling about it earlier.
Rocket League is a hybrid of racing and football simulator. The game was released in 2016, since then its audience has been constantly growing due to regular content updates and the lack of competition in the genre. Monetization through loot boxes was introduced shortly after the release of the game, in September 2016.
The developers’ blog says that a specific drop from a loot box is determined in three steps.
1) When a player opens a container, the system first determines the drop’s rarity category:
Rare Item: 55%
Very rare: 28%
Imported: 12%
Exotic: 4%
Black Market Item: 1%
2) Now the system determines which item will fall out of the category. All items of the same rarity have the same chance to drop, the developers emphasize.
3) Finally, the system determines whether the item will have additional characteristics. There are two such characteristics: the “painted” items have a changed skin, and with the help of “certified” items, certain statistical indicators of the player are tracked, for example, the number of goals scored or assists. An item of any rarity can be endowed with one of these characteristics:
Drop of an item without additional characteristics: 50%
Drop of the painted object: 25%
Drop of a certified item: 25%
Fans of the game on Reddit have a reasonable question: why did the developers decide to reveal the mechanics of drops just now? They came to the conclusion that this was done in connection with the recent events around the loot boxes in Holland and Belgium.
Recall that the authorities of these countries recognized loot boxes as a form of gambling, and their purchase as a bet with an uncertain result.
Some commentators expressed the opinion that players in Rocket League, having learned about how difficult it is to get really valuable items, will now become less likely to buy loot boxes.
Psyonix itself, apparently, expects this – the company has already announced that it will soon begin using a new form of monetization. These will be season tickets, the owners of which will be able to get access to unique items and skins. Such a system is successfully used in mobile versions of two of the most popular royal battles on the market – Fortnite Mobile and PUBG Mobile.
Also on the topic:
- Rocket League authors Ask Sony for Cross-platform multiplayer
- 33 million players have registered in Rocket League
Source: Psyonix, Reddit