Why Can’t I Trade in Rocket League? (Explained)

Player-to-player trading has been an integral part of the cosmetic tapestry within Rocket League. The feature has been a part of the game since its introduction in September 2016, until recently, on October 10th, an announcement sent an impulse throughout the Rocket League community.

On their official X handle, Rocket League announced that on December 5th, they'll be removing the player-to-player trading feature entirely, and this announcement came as the biggest shock that the community had ever felt towards the game. So far, it has been a month since this change was fully implemented.

Ample time has passed since then, so, we only feel it is right to discuss the gravity of this update now. In this article, we will answer some of the burning questions that have been on everyone's minds. If you want to play with some professionals to make up for all the joy lost along with the trading mechanic, the best thing we can recommend for you is to hire a professional-level Rocket League booster from Eloking. To make the deal even sweeter you can even use the code "BoostToday" for a 20% discount.

What is player-to-player trading in Rocket League?

Before we go any further, it is essential that we first explain what player-to-player trading is in Rocket League. Player-to-player trading refers to the system of trade (such as cosmetic items) within the community. In Rocket League, players used to possess the ability to swap in-game items with each other. These include car bodies, decals, wheels, boosts, and more.

Player-to-player trading added a unique layer of customization and personalization to the game. When players wanted to own a specific cosmetic item, they could simply trade one of their own for that with another player, instead of spending money on buying that item from the store using in-game currency. Players loved this feature for obvious reasons, and it also helped harbor a consumer-friendly relationship between the developers and the community.

Rocket League was not the first game to implement this feature, as other titles such as CS-GO and Dota 2 have had for a long time. 

Why Was Trading in Rocket League Removed?

To understand the reason for this change, we have to hear what the developers have to say. On their website announcing this change, Rocket League put forward the following statement:

"We're making this change to align with Epic's overall approach to game cosmetics and item shop policies, where items aren't tradable, transferable, or sellable. This opens up future plans for some Rocket League vehicles to come to other Epic Games over time, supporting cross-game ownership."

This clearly indicates to us the direction Epic Games wants to take Rocket League in. As we already know, Epic Games bought Rocket League and its developer back in 2019, and currently, it is on the Epic Games store for free. The game going free of cost could be a huge factor for this change as well. 

The Consequences of Removing Trading in Rocket League

Removing player-to-player trading means players now spend more in-game currency on items, and this is bound to increase micro-transactions within the game. It also tells us that this was a pre-meditated move from Epic, as they had to have this planned since they made it free. Players should rest easy, however, as Epic states that any items that have been traded prior to this change will stay and not be removed. 

This change will also massively affect another domain of this game. With trading gone, players can no longer buy cosmetics from 3rd party websites. Cosmetics on these websites were drastically cheaper than the in-game item shop, often as low as one-tenth of the original price, which means this change will force a player to pay the original price for the same item.

Psyonix team also states that they plan to bring cross-game ownership for Rocket League vehicles. This means that if a player buys a vehicle in Rocket League, they will also have access to that vehicle in a completely separate game on the Epic Games store, but that will require that vehicle to be present in both games. This feature remains to be implemented, however.

How Did Fans Respond to the Removal of Trading?

Well, the fan reception has been unfavorable, to say the least. From threads on X, to discussion forums on Reddit, the response has been more or less the same everywhere. The community is disappointed and discontent, as they think that this change was aimed more towards the benefit of the developers rather than the community.

A major cause of anger is the inability to use 3rd party websites to buy cosmetics for cheaper, as the in-game cosmetics are considered overpriced. Players also speculate that this will further kill the game, with some saying that they have decided to leave this game entirely and move on to something else.

What is in Store For the Future of Rocket League?

While nothing can be said for certain, fan reception indicates that the game will indeed lose popularity. The player count was already dropping and this seems to have only accelerated the process. On the bright side, at least players can no longer be scammed by some 3rd party seller, although so far this seems to be the only positive takeaway. But without trading, the community feels a bit empty. It used to be lively, but now players are wondering what's next for the game and how they can stay involved.