Rocket League Sideswipe’s Season Two brings Volleyball, Casual Mode, and More
Rocket League Sideswipe's second season just came out today and we're pretty excited. In case you missed it, Psyonix's ground-up reimagining of Rocket League for mobile was our top pick for Game of the Year in 2021, and as time has worn on, we're event more convinced it was the right call.
Just like many other service-oriented multiplayer games, Rocket League Sideswipe's new season is all about switching things up a bit and giving you new rewards for your committed play. As was the case with season one, all of this new stuff is available completely free of charge, so although there is a battle pass and currency to grind out, there is no way to pay your way around it (and hopefully this continues to be the case moving forward).
Probably the biggest change to come to the game is the addition of a new Volleyball mode. This mode replaces the Hoops variant that was in the game at launch, meaning there are still only three game modes to choose from. This new mode plays just about how you'd expect, with a net in the middle of the arena and goals on the floor, though there are a few twists. Toward the back of each floor is a safe area that doesn't count as goal territory, some of which is also a ball launch pad. This sets up some interesting strategic possibilities, though it seems like everyone is still just trying to get used to launching the ball downward.
On top of Volleyball, Rocket League Sideswipe now also supports ranked and casual modes of play, allowing you to pair up with friends, pass off your phone for someone to try it, or just opt to play matches that have no bearing on your overall ranked score. The only caveat of the casual mode is that Volleyball is not available for casual play for whatever reason. Otherwise, completing casual matches can still contribute to your battle pass advancement and item unlocks with no issue. One last note on casual matches: Interestingly, you can queue for matchmaking in both ranked and casual matches at the same time, so if your goal is just to find whatever kind of match the fastest, you can do that.
Overall, season two of Rocket League Sideswipe seems to inject some additional energy into what still feels like one of the freshest and most frenetic multiplayer experiences you can have on mobile. With rank resets, a totally new mode to tackle, and casual play available, there's never been a better time to jump into this excellent game.