Rocket League offered loot crates in the form of crates and keys, giving players a way to obtain many in-game items. But with some updates to the game, it seems like crates have been removed. So how do you buy crates in Rocket League?
You can no longer buy crates in Rocket League but you may be able to get them off third party trading sites. Crates have been removed by an update and replaced with the Blueprint system.
Let’s look at how Rocket League works with the crate mechanic and Blueprints, as well as why this change happened and how you can get new items such as decals. We’ll explore the reasons behind this big shift and why crates are now a thing of the past.
Can You Still Get Crates in Rocket League?
Crates have since been removed as the default way to get loot, but they are still available via participating in special events that give crates as a reward or by trading for them.
The crate and key system of Rocket League is a thing of the past and has since been replaced with the blueprint and credit system in 2019. This doesn’t mean, however, you’ll get a crate with every event, as not every special event will feature crates as a reward.
May 2017 saw an announcement by Psyonix that the Champion Crate series would be retired in June of that year, with other crates set to retire approximately half a year after their initial release date.
But there certainly have been crates such as the Golden Lantern crate from the Lucky Lanterns event, and the Golden Gift crate from the Frosty Fest event.
Past crates such as the Turbo or Nitro crate are no longer obtainable through any means. However, the special event crates are coming out with fairly regular timing.
That doesn’t mean you can’t get the items that were in those crates at all, as wheels, cars, decals and loot from the crates are easily obtainable by trading them from other players, although you will have an issue getting the rarer items off people.
Some items are non-tradable, so make sure you check whether the item you really want is even tradable before wasting time trying to track it down, as if the crate it came in is no longer available, and it can’t be traded, it is basically impossible to get.
Some of the bonus items you get from Blueprints are rarer than others making it still as exciting as opening up crates, as it will be fun to come across a more unique Blueprint.
Special blueprints are available for purchase too, that will be a higher price than the standard Blueprints, but of course, will then offer better items.
Can You Buy Crates in Rocket League?
No, it is not possible to buy crates in Rocket League. Instead, you can buy credits and use those credits to trade for crates with other players on third party trading websites.
It’s also possible to trade for the specific item you want on these same sites, but be careful about actions like these as it’s not guaranteed by Rocket League itself.
Getting scammed on a website for an item you want is a common experience, so take some basic precautions such as asking yourself whether you can really afford to lose the credits if the deal doesn’t work, and whether anyone would offer an item that is very rare.
Check whether the person has a good trading history or reputation, and report anyone who does something strange to get rid of bad actors.
Why Did Rocket League Get Rid of Crates?
Psyonix, the game developer, announced in August 2019 that the crate system would be entirely removed and replaced with a more transparent method of unlocking items.
This is likely due to the controversy that started to gather around loot crates generally in the gaming communities, as well as pressure from lawmakers to regulate what was starting to be seen as an undercover way to get young children to gamble.
Other big developers had already started to remove these types of gambling mechanics, such as Epic Games taking out loot boxes from Fortnite’s Save the World mode.
As Psyonix was purchased by Epic Games in 2019, this is likely a big reason why they changed direction but probably not the only reason, as the environment around loot boxes and their acceptability has changed dramatically over the last few years.
Crates contained bodies, decals, goal explosions, rocket boosts, trails, and wheels. They were introduced in September 2016.
The Blueprint system is meant to be a lot more targeted, as you can see what items you’re going for as they show what can be made, and then you can choose if you want to create it. Credits then are used to create the item, substituting for the key system of old.
Psyonix announced on 22 February 2021 that any player who had purchased keys to open crates before Psyonix announced they were going to get rid of the system would be given 1000 credits as a replacement.
Crates and keys were converted, with crates being converted into Blueprints of the same series per Psyonix. Other items like Rocket Pass Premium, DLC Cars, and Esports Shop items will continue to be offered in tandem with Blueprints, and are directly purchasable.
