Today Psyonix announced that player-to-player trading in its popular vehicular soccer game Rocket League is going the way of the dodo soon.
Players will be unable to trade in-game items starting at 4:00 p.m. PST on December 5.
The reason provided by the developer is the alignment with Epic Games' overall approach to game cosmetics and items shops. Epic prefers them not to be tradeable, transferable, or sellable.
Interestingly, the announcement mentions that this opens the way to future plans that will see some Rocket League vehicles come via cross-game ownership to other Epic games.
While it isn't mentioned by name, it's quite likely that Psyonix is teasing the appearance of Rocket League vehicles in Fortnite.
The announcement was also accompanied by a brief FAQ:
Q: What do I do with my duplicate or unwanted items?
A: The Trade-In system for Core Items, Tournament Items, and Blueprints will allow players to continue trading in eligible duplicate or unwanted items to receive a random new item of higher rarity.
Q: What if I lent someone an item?
A: These actions are not supported by Psyonix and all trades are considered final. Our support team cannot help reverse trades.
Q: What about third-party trading websites or servers?
A: After December 5, there will be no way to trade items with any player or between accounts. Websites or servers advertising such services are fraudulent and have no connection to Psyonix or Epic Games.
Q: Will this undo any trades I’ve made in the past?
A: No, you will not lose any previously traded items when Player-to-Player Trading is removed on December 5.
Rocket league is currently available for PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.