Epic Teases Rocket League’s Unreal Engine 6 Upgrade
▼ Summary
– Epic announced Unreal Engine 6 in a trailer for a new-look Rocket League, revealed at the Championship Series Paris Major.
– Rocket League, originally on Unreal Engine 3, will now upgrade to Unreal Engine 6, changing from earlier plans for a UE5 refresh.
– The trailer showed real-time in-game footage of a gleaming stadium and shiny vehicles, ending with the Unreal Engine 6 logo.
– The trailer linked Rocket League to Epic’s other projects, including Fortnite and a $1.5bn Disney partnership reportedly featuring a Star Wars shooter.
– Psyonix has not announced a release date for the upgrade, but Epic may discuss UE6 at next month’s Unreal Fest.
Epic Games has quietly kicked off the next chapter of its graphics technology, teasing Unreal Engine 6 with a subtle nod in a new trailer for Rocket League. Just half a decade after showing off Unreal Engine 5, the company is already shifting gears.
Developer Psyonix, now under Epic’s ownership following a 2019 acquisition, has kept Rocket League running on Unreal Engine 3 since its launch over ten years ago. That’s a long stretch for a game that’s remained wildly popular, so a visual overhaul has felt overdue. Psyonix previously hinted at an upgrade back in 2021, saying it would move to Unreal Engine 5. But those plans have clearly evolved.
The reveal came during a minute-long trailer unveiled at the Rocket League Championship Series Paris Major over the weekend. It opened with a bold declaration: all footage was “captured real-time in game.” The camera then glided through a gleaming stadium before zooming into a polished car racing across the pitch. Text on screen read “New era, new engine,” followed by a rapid montage of sleek vehicle shots.
After the in-game portion, the trailer flashed the Unreal Engine 6 logo and a brief animation that placed Rocket League alongside Epic’s other major projects, including Fortnite and its massive $1.5 billion partnership with Disney. That Disney deal reportedly involves a new Star Wars shooter reminiscent of Arc-Raiders. It’s not a lot to go on, but Rocket League fans should feel reassured that Psyonix hasn’t shelved its engine upgrade ambitions.
The big question now is timing. How long until this long-awaited refresh actually arrives? Psyonix hasn’t offered a release window. But with Microsoft already discussing the next Xbox and rumors about a PlayStation 6 growing louder, Epic will likely want to talk about its new engine soon. Next month’s Unreal Fest could be the perfect stage for a deeper reveal.
(Source: Eurogamer.net)
