Does the Ball Curve in Rocket League

Within the prominent Esports title Rocket League, there is scope for players to defy the laws of physics and glide through the air, dribbling the ball to the goal in a stylish fashion. Yet despite this madness, the physics within this game is somehow grounded in reality making the gameplay balanced and realistic. This has made players accept that these battle cars can hit ridiculous speeds, perform flip tricks with ease and inexplicably climb walls. Yet there is one aspect of this game’s physics that players often question. That is ‘does the ball curve in Rocket League?’

Does The Ball Curve?

No, the ball doesn’t curve in normal matchmaking. In most cases, the ball will move in a very straight fashion at all times. However, in select scenarios, the ball will move through the air with more unpredictability and curve and weave with careless abandon. In private matches with custom settings, the ball can curve if enabled in the game settings. However, for any online competitive matches, the ball will behave as normal with no curved flight path.

Why Doesnt The Ball Curve When Playing Competitive?

There are a few schools of thought on this one. The most straightforward answer is that the game doesn’t make use of drag physics. This is a mechanic that relates to aerodynamics and if this was included in the game, the ball would move in a much more realistic fashion. However, this would be a huge shock to the system for players, likely upsetting the competitive scene and also taking away the arcade style gameplay that many players love about Rocket League.

To change this setting now would be a huge risk for Psyonix and Epic Games. This would potentially see them lose a huge chunk of their player base and this quite simply not a risk they are willing to take. We guess if it ain’t broke, don’t try and fix it.

How to Play With a Ball Curve In Rocket League?

If you want to play a match on Rocket League with the ball curve feature enabled, all you need to do is enter a private match and set it up as desired. Here is a quick guide on how to do so.

1. From the main menu, go to play and then select “custom matches”.
2. Select Private match, exhibition or season (all are fine to enable ball curve)
3. when in the match settings, select ‘mutator settings’
4. When in mutator settings, select the drop down for ball physics and select curveball.
5. Start the game and witness the new, realistic ball physics.

Just an important note as well, this feature can be accessed via Bakkesmod as well. Bakkesmod actually provided this feature before Psyonix and allowed players to witness realistic ball physics long before Psyonix introduced imitator settings.

Throws Players a Curveball

The curveball feature may be nothing more than a novelty that can be accessed in non-competitive matches. However, this feature along with other mutator settings have allowed players to enjoy Rocket League in a new way without the stresses of online rankings. It may not be something we ever see in the competitive games, aside from the popular heatseeker limited game mode of course. However, it’s a lot of fun and if you haven’t tried it. We urge you to give it a go.

‍