Rocket League Unexpectedly Reveals Unreal Engine 6 During RLCS Major

Rocket League is getting one of its biggest technical upgrades yet. During the Rocket League Championship Series Paris Major, Psyonix confirmed that the game is moving to Unreal Engine 6 instead of Unreal Engine 5.

The announcement also served as the first public reveal of Unreal Engine 6 itself, which Epic Games had not officially announced before the event.

Rocket League Is Finally Leaving Unreal Engine 3

Rocket League first launched in 2015 and has continued running on Unreal Engine 3 for more than a decade. Fans have speculated about a major engine migration for years, especially after Epic Games acquired Psyonix in 2019.

Many expected Rocket League to eventually move to Unreal Engine 5. Instead, Psyonix confirmed it is skipping directly to Unreal Engine 6.

Teaser Showed Major Visual Improvements

The short teaser featured a far more realistic Rocket League arena with upgraded lighting and surface detail. Car and ball models also appeared more detailed than the current version of the game.

The iconic Octane appeared with upgraded boost effects, while the final shot hinted at a redesigned customization system for vehicles.

The visual leap looked significantly larger than previous seasonal updates or graphical refreshes.

Unreal Engine 6 Was Quietly Revealed

The event marked the first official appearance of Unreal Engine 6. Epic Games did not provide technical details or discuss new engine features during the reveal.

No release date was announced for Unreal Engine 6, and Psyonix also avoided confirming when Rocket League’s upgraded version will launch.

Fortnite Could Receive UE6 First

Epic previously used Fortnite as an early testing ground for Unreal Engine 5 technology before rolling it out more broadly to developers.

A similar strategy could happen again with Unreal Engine 6. Rocket League and Fortnite may receive early support before the engine becomes widely available across the gaming industry.

What Happens Next

Psyonix still has not confirmed whether the upgrade will replace the current Rocket League client or launch as a separate version. Cross-platform support, esports compatibility, and performance requirements also remain unknown.

The teaser suggests Epic wants Rocket League to become one of the flagship showcases for Unreal Engine 6 technology moving forward.

In other gaming news, Xbox is getting more than 30 new games this week, while Microsoft is also making Xbox playtime statistics easier to read for players.

Via Insider Gaming