The Original Civic Type-R Makes a Surprise Addition to Rocket League's Roster
Image: Epic Games
Rocket League has inked partnerships with a range of automakers and motorsports entities to date, including Lamborghini, McLaren, Formula 1, NASCAR and — notably recently — Ferrari. That was a big get, and Rocket League publisher Epic Games reflected that in a suitably high price — the 296 GTB costs the equivalent of $20 in in-game credits and can’t be customized. But it’s the esports darling’s latest real-world addition that has piqued everyone’s interest.
There’s a new Civic Type-R on the way, as you probably know. Rather than phoning Honda to get that one into the game, which could still very well happen, developer Psyonix nabbed the EK9 Civic Type-R as part of Rocket League’s Season 8 content update, which arrives September 7. The pass costs $10 and unlocks the hot hatch from the jump. Achieving the pass milestones will unlock cosmetic enhancements and a souped-up “Limited Edition” variant.
Years ago, there was a Fast & Furious-themed pack that included legendary vehicles from the film franchise, like Brian O’Conner’s R34 GT-R and Dom Toretto’s Charger. But those were part of a brand tie-in. This is a classic enthusiast car making its way to Rocket League — which isn’t strictly a racing game — on its own, and that’s kind of strange to think about. It also signals that retro cars are very much on the table for future inclusions.
Indeed, strange things are going on at Psyonix. Mike Caviezel, who’s served as audio lead at both Forza-developer Turn 10 Studios and Gran Turismo-dev Polyphony Digital, recently left the latter to shape Rocket League’s sound. That may have been a big loss for GT, as the franchise’s famously awful engine noises improved 100-fold during Caviezel’s tenure.
On his LinkedIn page, Caviezel says he’s “working on everything Rocket League & beyond.” If the 296 GTB and EK9 Type-R sound especially good, he might be the reason why — but it’s the “beyond” part that has left me wondering why the studio responsible for a flying car soccer game has suddenly enlisted the services of an individual renowned for his dedication to exhaust note accuracy. I suppose we’ll find out in time.
