The developer behind the popular multiplayer game "Rocket League" is ending support for macOS in March, forcing players to either switch to Windows or continue playing the game without any of its online functionality.
Psyonix, the development studio owned by Epic, advised it is "no longer viable" to maintain support for macOS and Linux-based versions of "Rocket League." In a blog post, the studio reasoned it was due to it continuing to upgrade the game with "new technologies," which puts a strain on developing the game for multiple platforms concurrently.
The studio warned will be issuing the last patch for the game on both platforms in March. The update will disable online functionality for the macOS and Linux versions, which will shut down social elements and online multiplayer features, including friends lists, in-game events, the item shop, leaderboards and rankings, and even core functionality like online matchmaking and private matches.
Despite the disabled functions, the game will still be playable on Mac, with features including local multiplayer, split-screen play, career statistics, and replays. Access to the garage and inventory will continue, complete with existing items previously acquired in the game, while Steam Workshop maps and custom training packs will also work, so long as they were downloaded before the final patch.
Psyonix does suggest Mac-based players can play the game on Windows via Boot Camp, though it is "not something Psyonix officially supports." Similar tools are also suggested for Linux, namely the use of Steam's Proton app or Wine, but again neither are officially supported.
Due to the multi-platform nature of Steam, players who do switch operating systems will still be able to play the game on their existing Steam accounts without needing to rebuy the game itself. Progress and game items previously acquired on a Steam account will migrate to wherever the user is playing.