In this Rocket League guide, we will take a look at the aspects of the Octane, Dominus, and Batmobile and list why these three cars make up the Rocket League esports meta.
Hit-Boxes, Turning Radius, and Classes
When Rocket League was released in 2015, nearly every car in the game had its own unique hit-box and turning radius. In 2017, Psyonix standardized the car hit-boxes and turning radiuses into class groups in order to encourage the use of the lesser-picked cars.
The standardized hit-box classes are Octane, Dominus, Breakout, Plank, and Hybrid. Without any additional purchases, players can access each class by using the cars Octane, Hotshot, Breakout, Paladin, or Venom respectively.
If you’re not aware, a hit-box is an invisible shape that is part of the car model. It’s used to calculate collision detection with other objects in the game, such as the map, the ball, and other cars. As a player, we don’t see this. A full list of all the cars and their hit-boxes is available.
Octane
The Octane is currently the most popular car in the RL esports meta. It’s both the RL marketing mascot and the first Battle-Car you’re equipped with.
Pros:
- The tallest hit-box class. The Octane blocks more of the ball on kick-offs and 50-50s.
- It holds the ball higher from the ground when dribbling, making it easier to turn with the ball without dropping it.
- The accurate hit-box representation allows players to make more consistent touches on the ball.
- Most customization options in the garage
Cons:
- Shorter reach to the ball. The Octane will lose out to reaching the ball against flat cars.
- Lesser turning radius compared to Dominus and Batmobile
Over 70 percent of the professional community play in the Octane and most professional RL esports titles have been won while using it. This is a testament to how reliable it is at the highest level of play.
Three pro players who main the Octane are Cameron “Kronovi” Bills, Alexandre “Kaydop” Courant, and Mariano “SquishyMuffinz” Arruda, who have each won a World Championship Series title using it.
Dominus
Introduced as a premium DLC car, the Dominus is the second most popular car in the Rocket League esports meta. Even though the Hotshot uses the Dominus hit-box, professionals opt to use the Dominus car because of its more consistent rectangular shape.
Pros:
- Greater turning radius compared to the Octane
- The longer hit-box reaches the ball quicker than Octane-class cars.
- The longer nose is more effective with flicks.
- The longer hit-box can block more of the goal as a goalkeeper.
- Harder hits on the front-end of the car compared to that of Octane
Many pro players switch to the Dominus believing that this car hits the ball harder than the Octane can — if they shoot by using the front corners of the hitbox.
Cons:
- Lower hit-box height prone to losing 50-50s and kick-offs against Octane-class cars
- Poor front hit-box representation
The model of the Dominus doesn’t exactly match the hit-hox class that it’s matched to. This means the car will clip into the ball when striking it, which could lead to mistiming your touches. In the image below you can see a red outline of the Dominus’s car model and also how much of it clips into the ball on contact.
While the Dominus has nowhere near the same pick-rate as the Octane, it’s been making a steady rise in appearances over the past few pro seasons. It’s also the preferred pick for freestylers.
Three pro players who main the Dominus are Jesus “Gimmick” Parra, Remco “remkoe” den Boer, and Joni “JHZER” Humaloja.
Batmobile
The Batmobile is also a premium DLC car and is the third most popular car in the RL esports meta. The Batmobile still has its very own hit-box and stats even though it’s listed as part of the Plank class. Because of this, most players choose to use the Batmobile over any other Plank-class cars.
Pros:
- Greater turning radius compared to Octane
- The longer hit-box for reaching the ball mid-air
- The longer body is more effective with flicks.
- The longest and widest hit-box can block more of the goal as a goalkeeper.
Flick shots can be performed with any car; however, the Batmobile excels at flicking because of its longer and wider hit-box. It allows players to manipulate the trajectory of the ball even greater, which has earned it the name the “Batmobile flick.”
Cons:
- Lower hit-box height prone to losing 50-50s and kick-offs against Octane-class cars
- Prone to hit-box and stat changes
Over the previous seasons, many players have expressed their frustration over the Batmobile at Psyonix, as it seems that it’s prone to receiving silent stat changes in patch releases. This has led to many pro players recently experimenting with other cars to avoid the issue.
The Batmobile currently has the lowest pick-rate of the three meta cars, so those who main it are often remembered for it. Two iconic Batmobile players are Francesco “kuxir97” Cinquemani and Victor “Fairy Peak” Locquet. Pierre “Turbopolsa” Silfver also won the Rocket League Championship Series Season 5 using this car.
Choosing a Battle-Car
Selecting from the above three meta esports cars is completely subjective. There’s no clear right or wrong decision when making comparisons. However, if you believe you’ve yet to define your Rocket League play style, or you just want to know you’re in the most balanced car, you cannot steer wrong with the Octane.
We do encourage players to try the other two cars. This is to gain an understanding of how they can be used and what play styles can excel with them. Doing this can give you insight into how your opponents may play with them against you. You may even find a new favorite along the way.
To get a closer look at how pros use the meta cars, you should check out the Rocket League Championship Series available on the Rocket League Twitch channel.
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