Admin controls are coming to Rocket League, what does it mean for esports?

Rocket League has added admin controls to private matches as part of its v2.54 update.

As a result, private match hosts have access to all Match Admin options, allowing them to pause matches during live competition.

In addition to pausing a match, private match hosts also have the ability to adjust the time remaining on the in-game clock, the score, and the option to restart a match from kick-off.

According to the patch notes, the Match Admin functions will transfer to the player who joined the lobby first if the host leaves while a match is taking place. If the player is part of a party, admin controls will move to its leader.

In addition to the arrival of Match Admin functionality, the update adjusted crossbar ping audio, along with customised training pack recommendations based on their in-game rank. Each week, players will receive recommendations from the car football title’s existing library of training packs to improve their game.

Elsewhere, a bug impacting players selecting a recommended server in a private match has been resolved, resulting in players no longer receiving an error relating to an incorrect region.

With Private Match hosts now able to access Match Admin tools, tournament organisers now have an additional layer of control when operating matches.

Outside of the RLCS, Rocket League is used across several amateur esports initiatives across Europe and North America.

Thanks to the ability to manually pause matches, admins can ensure competitive integrity is maintained when players disconnect or encounter issues while competing.

The next top-tier Rocket League esports tournament is the season-ending World Championship taking place from September 9th to 14th at Lyon’s LDLC Arena. 20 teams from across the world will compete for a share of a $1m (~£748,290) prize pool and a chance to be crowned the title’s 14th world champion.