What just happened? The creators of Rocket League, the massively popular vehicular soccer game, have joined Epic Games. The acquisition of Psyonix studios took place for an undisclosed amount and will formally complete by the end of this month in what marks yet another major move for Epic in scoring big titles for its gaming platform.
Psyonix studios made a surprising announcement to officially join the Epic Games family. In what is another feather in the cap for Epic, the title is expected to launch on the Epic Games store later this year.
According to the creators, the acquisition will greatly benefit the game's e-sports ecosystem as it "significantly increases our potential reach and resources, just like it does for the game itself." Both parties have a history of working together, including Psyonix's partnership with Epic in the Unreal Tournament 2004 and its contribution to Gears of War and Mass Effect 3.
But how will this affect the game and its huge player base on Valve's competing Steam store? For now, players on the Steam version can continue to play their existing copy of the game for an indefinite period and expect continued support such as DLCs, patches and all other future content. Before the game eventually arrives on Epic's Store, "it will continue to be available for purchase on Steam; thereafter it will continue to be supported on Steam for all existing purchasers."
This seems to indicate that users have a limited time to purchase the game on Steam and could be frustrating for newcomers or existing gamers and their friends to choose a storefront and its companion features once the game supposedly becomes an exclusive purchase on Epic's platform.