Rocket League Case Study: Building Launch Momentum Through Hands-On PR

Rocket League paired a simple, immediately understandable concept—soccer played with rocket-powered cars—with gameplay that needed to be experienced firsthand.

Ahead of launch, Reverb focused its PR efforts on getting the game into the hands of media. That early emphasis on play helped introduce Rocket League to influential outlets and positioned the game for broader visibility across press, Twitch, and YouTube.

Following launch, Rocket League earned coverage from prominent publications, appeared on channels from leading content creators, and received more than 100 awards.

The Challenge

Rocket League’s appeal extended beyond its premise. Its fast matches, competitive depth, and unpredictable moments became much clearer once someone played or watched the game.

The launch campaign therefore needed to move beyond simply explaining the concept. The priority was to give media an opportunity to experience the game directly and understand why it could resonate with players.

Reverb’s Approach

Reverb’s PR team made hands-on media engagement a central part of the pre-launch campaign.

Rather than relying solely on announcements and promotional materials, the team focused heavily on encouraging media to play Rocket League. This gave writers and editors direct experience with the game’s core mechanics and helped make its appeal easier to communicate to their audiences.

The campaign concentrated on reaching people well positioned to introduce Rocket League to the audiences most likely to cover or play the game. As visibility grew, Rocket League was also featured on Twitch and YouTube by prominent creators, including:

• Markiplier
• Ssundee
• AngryJoeShow
• Willyrex
• SodaPoppin
• iBallisticsquid
• CohhCarnage

The Results

Rocket League secured media coverage and features from outlets including:

• The Wall Street Journal
• Los Angeles Times
• Forbes
• OXM
• Game Informer

The Los Angeles Times described the game’s combination of cars and soccer as “video game magic,” while Forbes highlighted Rocket League surpassing $110 million in sales.

The game also gained substantial industry recognition. According to the case study, Rocket League received more than 100 awards after launch, including recognition connected to BAFTA, the Game Developers Choice Awards, and E3.

Its presence extended into creator-driven platforms as well, with leading Twitch and YouTube personalities featuring the game for their audiences.

Key Highlights

• A pre-launch PR strategy centered on getting media to play the game
• Coverage and features from The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Forbes, OXM, and Game Informer
• Twitch and YouTube exposure through prominent content creators
• More than 100 awards following launch
• Continued visibility through partnerships, downloadable content, and competitive play

Why It Worked

Rocket League was a game that benefited from direct experience. By prioritizing hands-on play, Reverb gave media a stronger foundation for understanding—and communicating—what made the game distinctive.

That approach aligned the campaign with the product itself. Writers could experience the accessibility, competition, and spontaneous moments that made Rocket League compelling, while creator coverage demonstrated how naturally the game translated into entertaining video and livestream content.

The result was a campaign built around credible third-party discovery: media played the game, established outlets covered it, and creators introduced it to their own audiences.

Build Lasting Recognition for Your Next Game

Launching a game that needs to be played to be fully understood? Reverb helps studios and publishers build focused PR and influencer marketing campaigns designed around what makes each title worth discovering.

Confused about when or how to launch your game? Book time with Reverb to build a custom Go-To-Market strategy tailored specifically to your title.