Rocket League Season 20 launches — new arena, esports rewards track, and item shop rework
Rocket League Season 20 ships a new arena, a fresh esports rewards track, and a major item shop rework. Here's what's new and what to play first.
Season 20 is here
Rocket League Season 20 launched this week with a new arena, a new esports rewards track, and the most significant item shop rework in years. The arena is the headline change — the first new arena in 18 months.
New arena: Chrono Field
Chrono Field is the new arena, themed around the time-manipulation motif that's been a thread in Rocket League lore for the last few seasons. The arena:
- Standard layout — 110m x 80m, the standard arena size.
- Custom boost pads — the boost pad layout is custom. The mid-field pads are smaller and the corner pads are larger.
- Dynamic backdrop — the arena background changes based on the time of day in your local timezone.
- Goal explosions — the goals get a custom time-themed explosion when you score.
The custom boost pad layout is the most interesting change. The smaller mid pads and larger corner pads push players toward corner rotations rather than the standard mid-boost play. Expect the high-rank meta to favor players who can consistently rotate through the corners.
Esports rewards track
The new esports rewards track replaces the previous rewards system. The new structure:
- 20 tiers of rewards, each tier costing 1000 credits.
- Free track — 10 tiers, with player banners, goal explosions, and a new animated player banner.
- Premium track ($9.99) — 20 tiers, with the Octane car, a new goal explosion, and 3 esports-themed decals.
The premium track is a strong value if you're planning to watch the RLCS season. The Octane car and the decals are both cosmetics you'd want anyway, and the credits are earned through the free tiers.
Item shop rework
The item shop gets a major rework. The new system:
- Featured items rotate every 4 hours instead of every 24 hours.
- Daily free items — a free item is added to the shop every day. The free item is a player banner, goal explosion, or decal.
- Wishlist notifications — you can add items to your wishlist. When a wishlisted item is in the shop, you get a notification.
The wishlist system is the standout change. If you've been waiting for a specific item to come back to the shop, you can set a wishlist alert and the system will ping you when it's available.
The 4-hour rotation is also a big change. The shop will feel more dynamic, and the limited-time items will rotate more frequently. The risk is that the rare items will rotate out faster, so if you see something you want, you need to buy it quickly.
Ranked reset
The seasonal reset hits the standard targets. Your rank is reset, your MMR is recalibrated, and your placement games are the new baseline for the rest of the season.
The smart play is to grind the placement games in the first week. The lobby quality is most volatile in week 1, which means the easiest path to a season-high is to play when most players are still finding their new bracket.
What to queue first
- Chrono Field fans: The new arena is the standout change. Play it in casual before it rotates into the ranked pool.
- Esports fans: The new rewards track is the best value in years. Buy the premium pass if you watch the RLCS.
- Item shop fans: The wishlist system is a major quality-of-life improvement. Add your wanted items to the wishlist now.
See the Rocket League review for the long take, or check the Rocket League beginner guide if you're new to the game.
About 3 minutes read.
