Whether you are a new player or a frequent flier, you will stumble across Rocket League’s “extra modes”. Out of those four modes, Rumble is one that gets a lot of attention. This is a chaotic variant of regular 3v3s that includes a mix of power ups at the player's disposal. These 11 different power-ups are dealt to each player at random. After using the power-up, there is a ten second cooldown before the player is assigned another. To know what power-up you have, a small icon will be displayed next to your boost counter. You may have the urge to use your power-up as soon as you are given it, but in most cases it will be more beneficial to hold onto them.

Reviewing when each power-up is useful is going to help you bring strategy into your Rumble game and combat the common practice of ball chasing while spamming your power-up as soon as you get it.

Boot

For players who want to knock enemies out of their way, the Boot is the perfect powerup. Once activated, a big boot will spring out from your car and kick your opponent across the field. The force of the kick will depend on your opponent's momentum, working best while they are in the air since they will have no friction with the ground to slow them down.

The Boot is great for almost any scenario that you need to move your opponent. When you or your team is trying to score, you can knock enemies out of the way to give you an open net. Aside from forcefully kicking opponents out of their defensive or offensive plays, the Boot can effectively counter Spikes. This is extremely helpful to kick away an adversary that is headed towards your net with the ball attached to their spikes.

Disruptor

Rendering your opponent’s car virtually uncontrollable can make them one less player you have to worry about on the field. This Disruptor power-up curses your opponent with unlimited boost. There’s just one catch – they cannot stop boosting. This effect will only last a few seconds. Unfortunately, once the effect runs out, your enemy will be left with full boost. This means if they were able to put themselves in a good ending position, they will be there with a full tank, ready to do whatever they need to do.

This power-up is effective in a couple scenarios. On the offensive, if an opponent is the last person back, you can use it to clear the net for you or your teammate to score. For defense, one of the best cases would be to wait for the opponent to use the Magnet power-up and use it then. This will cause them to speed away from the ball, out of range for the Magnet to take effect.

Freezer

Getting a second chance at a shot or a few more seconds to calculate your moves is a good ability to have. With the Freezer power-up, you can do just that. Upon activation, the ball will start to freeze over and stop wherever it is. That can be on the ground, in the air, or even on the wall. If any player touches the ball before its 10 second freeze time is up, the ice holding it in place will break and it will be set free.

In the instance that someone activates a Freezer power-up while the ball is on someone’s Spikes, that person’s Spikes will be canceled. The ball will freeze on the player’s Spikes, but since the Spikes are touching the ball, it will have broken the ice, rendering the Spikes ineffective.

Other than countering Spikes, Freezer is great for tripping up opponents by stopping the ball that they are going for or trying to make a play with. This can also give you and your teammates a second chance at saving a goal. Essentially pausing the play allows you to reassess what your reactions are and make the difference in a goal or save.

Grappling Hook

If you want a for-sure way to hit the ball, you will love the grappling hook. Once activated, the Grappling Hook attaches to the ball, pulling you in. While it may not be the fastest, it will still pull you to wherever the ball goes. The grapple does only last a few seconds though, so if timed poorly, you will be pulled in the direction of the ball only to come up short on hitting it. This could happen if the ball is hit hard down the field soon after you activate the power-up.

There are two scenarios to use this power-up offensively. One would be if you have control and want to pop the ball really quick. Simply activate it while the ball is close to you and when the enemy least expects it; don’t forget to try to line up your shot first. The other case is if you see the ball floating towards your opponent’s net with no opposition. If timed correctly, you will hit the ball right as it passes in front of their net. For defense, you can use it in nearly any scenario you want to get the ball away from an opponent.

Haymaker

The Haymaker is like the Boot, but instead of springing out to hit a player, it aims for the ball. When activated, a giant red fist will appear out of your car that punches the ball in the direction you are aimed. The force of the punch depends on your momentum in relation to the ball. So, if you are moving fast towards the ball, you will obtain some serious power, but if you are driving away from the ball, it will not have much of an effect.

You can use this power up in similar scenarios to the Grapple Hook, but now you can control the power, in the ways mentioned above. For defense, this power-up is best to send the ball out of your half. Even better, if an opponent has the spikes power-up, hit the ball while they are still attached to send them and the ball away.

Magnetizer

In situations where you need to keep control of the ball in a way that is difficult for the defense to read, you can utilize the Magnetizer. The magnetizer attracts the ball towards your car. So, like a magnet, the closer you are to the ball, the stronger the pull will be, and the farther, the weaker. There is a limit to it though! If you get too far, the Magnetizer will have no effect. You will know if you influence the ball if there is a blue line connecting you and the ball.

As mentioned, this effect is best used to keep control of the ball, which you can use offensively or defensively. All you need to do is drive at a moderate pace once you’ve gotten close to the ball. Once the effect is strong, the ball should remain close. To make it more difficult for the defense to read, once you’ve successfully completed the control above, try jumping and flying towards the enemy’s net. You will find the ball will come up with you (if you aren’t moving too quickly).

Plunger

This power-up is essentially the opposite of the Grapple Hook; meaning that instead of pulling you to the ball, it pulls the ball to you. When activated, a plunger will shoot out of your car towards the ball. If the ball hasn’t gone too far after you activate, the Plunger will stick to the ball and pull it towards you for a moment.

In an offensive scenario, what many players do is sit in the opponent’s net and wait for the ball to get close. Once the power-up targets the ball, activate, and it will pull it into their net. Another offensive strategy is if the ball is by itself in the middle of the field, drive past it towards the enemy net and activate. Once the ball gets close to the back of your car, move out of the way and let it roll past. For defense, use a similar strategy, but just drive away from your net.

Power Hitter

When activated, this power-up deploys an electric gold aura around your car that causes you to hit players and the ball harder. When you touch the ball, it will be sent flying across the field at extreme speeds. Another perk is that if you collide into an enemy at any speed, you will instantly demolish them. This does not mean you are invincible, though, because you are still able to be demolished if an opponent attempts to do so. For collisions with teammates, though, they will just be knocked slightly further than a regular bump.

The uses for this power-up are straightforward. It hits the ball hard. So, use it in any normal scenario you want to send the ball fast in any direction. There is one other offensive strategy, which is to hang out on the enemy half and drive around to try to demolish them and clear the way for your teammates to score.

Spikes

This ability deploys Spikes all around your car that the ball can stick to. The spot that the ball meets first is the spot it will remain the duration of the ability. So, if it touches you on the bottom of your car, it will stay there and you will have to drive with it like that. The ball will stay on your car until the time has run out, or if another player interacts with you, either physically or with power-ups such as Freezer or Swapper.

The most effective way to use Spikes is to aim for the roof of your car to hit the ball once activated. This will allow you the most control of the ball while driving around. You will also want to make sure to only activate when you are sure you are about to hit the ball. The timer starts as soon as you activate, whether you touch the ball or not.

Swapper

See an opponent who has a better angle than you? Use your Swapper! Upon activation, you and the opponent selected will begin an animation to teleport to each other's places. Momentum and orientation will also be swapped in the process, meaning that if your opponent was speeding down the field you will be too upon immediately trading places.

To use this power-up on offense, aim for an opponent in their net. Try to drive away from the play, and even jump, flip your car around, and make an awkward situation for the enemy when you swap. Remember, they will be put into whatever orientation you were in at the moment of the swap. For defense, the best use is if someone is using a power up that puts them in control of the ball (Spikes or Magnet). Be careful while using it on defense, though. If you are the last one back, you could set the other team up with an open net.

Tornado

To shake up the players on the field, activating your Tornado will do the trick. A funnel will form on top of your car, picking up and throwing opponents that surround you. This Tornado is useful for pulling opponents out of their position to give you or your teammates an advantage. You can also make an opening for your teammates by driving your Tornado into the opponent’s net to mix up their defense, leaving the net exposed.

Conclusion

Regardless of how long you have been a Rocket League player, you will experience the chaos that is Rumble. Understanding all the power-ups that Rumble has in its rotation will give your gameplay strategy as opposed to ball chasing and wasting power-ups. So next time you enter a Rumble match, put the knowledge of the power-ups we discussed to good use!