Rocket League is binning loot boxes in exchange for 'blueprints'

Rocket League developer Psyonix is replacing loot boxes with a new system called 'Blueprints' in a bid to be more transparent. 

The studio announced plans to scrap loot boxes back in August, but had until now neglected to mention how it would replace the controversial (and increasingly illegal) system. 

Although Blueprints differ from loot boxes in a few crucial ways, there are still a lot of similarities between the two. For instance, both allow players to unlock items, some of which will have special attributes making them more rare, for a price. 

The key difference is that Blueprints will allow players to immediately see what they'll be paying to unlock, meaning they won't run the risk of dropping cash on something they don't want. 

"After you play a match of Rocket League, you’ll have a chance to obtain a Blueprint; a new type of drop that will replace Crates. When you receive a Blueprint, it will show you exactly what item you can create from it, for a set price," reads an explainer from Psyonix. 

"Once they're in your inventory, Blueprints will allow you to pay to create the item it offers and receive it immediately; or you can leave it in your inventory and choose to create the item later."

The developer is also changing Rocket League's trade-in system to ensure paid-for items obtained from Blueprints can't be traded, effectively preventing the items from accruing any real-world value. 

Once the Blueprints system goes live in December, players will be able to purchase them using credits, the new premium currency replacing keys. At that point, player keys will automatically be converted into credits the first time they log in to Rocket League, and each remaining loot box they own will be converted into a blue print. You can find out more about the changes over on the Rocket League website.