Rocket League Sideswipe is a free 2D take on car soccer coming this year

Rocket League is getting a 2D mobile spinoff called Rocket League Sideswipe, and it's coming to iOS and Android devices later this year.

Developer Psyonix announced the game today with a look at some alpha gameplay. Sideswipe is played in two-minute 1v1 or 2v2 matches where players compete to – brace yourself for this surprise – knock a ball into a goal using RC-like cars. It really is a faithful 2D rendition of Rocket League, and it makes a strange sort of sense. It feels like a high-def version of some old flash games, but leveraging a strong and well-liked IP, which is pretty cool. 

To account for the new 2D perspective, the normal goal height has been raised to the middle of the arena, presumably to make scoring more difficult and to push aerial moves more heavily. The basketball-style Hoops mode has also made its way into Sideswipe, and with the default goal already raised, it'll be interesting to see how the two modes feel in 2D. 

Sideswipe will offer a competitive ranking system of its own, and the alpha trailer also shows off some of the customization you'd expect from Rocket League. Like the main game, Sideswipe seems to have cosmetics for your car and goal effects, so expect a similar style of monetization. 

"We are targeting a worldwide launch for Rocket League Sideswipe later this year for free on iOS and Android," Psyonix says. "Starting today, players in Australia and New Zealand will be able to join a limited-time regional alpha test on Android via the Google Play Store. We’ll have more information on future betas in additional regions in the coming months."

Rocket League, which is now owned by Epic, recently returned to Fortnite for a Llama-Rama event.