Rocket League Sideswipe is a mobile version of Psyonix’s incredibly popular driving sports game, and it’s arriving this year.
Soon there’ll be nowhere to escape that temptation to drop into the arena for juuust one more game of motor-powered soccer. Rocket League has already conquered PC and console platforms, but the mobile version for iOS and Android is very different to a traditional port.
© Psyonix
Revealed yesterday, Sideswipe is a standalone title “built from the ground up for mobile platforms”. This won’t be a cross-platform title, as Psyonix has needed to make some choice adjustments to controls and formula to fit the mobile platform. In Rocket League Sideswipe, matches have been shortened down to a brisk 2-minute time limit, with only 1v1 and 2v2 modes supported. There is full online support, however, meaning you can join up with friends anywhere in the world.
Take a look at the reveal trailer below and you’ll notice a couple of other major changes too. Namely the game now takes place in a 2D, side-on plane, with cars boosting back and forth at one another, attempting to knock the ball over or under the opposition as you hunt those goals.
Goals – assuming you’re playing with them and not basketball hoops – are found halfway up the opposing side’s wall, requiring some deft aerial handling to score. Similarly, controls have been simplified for mobile inputs, though Psyonix notes that “there are advanced mechanics, just like Rocket League, for those who want to climb the Competitive Ranks.”
Much like the main game, Rocket League Sideswipe will be free to play, including monetization options in the form of car customization. While release is planned for this year, there’s no firm date just yet. A limited-time Alpha is currently available in Australia and New Zealand, with Psyonix planning to host more in the coming months.
