Ending the Animation Grind

Rocket League Season 21 finally addresses one of the oldest technical annoyances in the game: the slow reward opening process. For years, players had to sit through a lengthy animation for every single loot drop or chest earned through challenges. If a player accumulated dozens of drops over a season, clearing the inventory could take ten minutes or more.

The v2.63 update introduces a dedicated Skip button within the reward interface. When a player selects a drop to open, they can now click “Open and Skip” to bypass the spinning animation and light effects. The game immediately displays the item received. More importantly, this works for bulk opening: if you have multiple drops of the same rarity, the UI now allows for a much faster transition between items.

Inventory Management Speed

This change is purely a Quality of Life (QoL) improvement. It does not change drop rates or item rarities. However, it significantly impacts the “user loop” for active players. By removing the forced wait time, the developers have streamlined the transition between playing matches and managing gear.

The feature is located directly in the Drops section of the Garage. Players no longer need to navigate deep into settings to enable it: the option appears at the moment of opening. This direct approach makes it accessible for casual players who might have hundreds of unopened drops simply because they did not want to wait for the animations.

Community Reaction: The “Long Overdue” Win

The player base on Reddit and the official Discord has responded with overwhelming positivity. Many users have labeled this the “best feature of the year.” For veteran players who have moved past the excitement of loot crate visuals, the ability to see their items instantly is a massive time saver.

Points of community discussion include:

  • The Hoarder Effect: Many players posted screenshots of themselves opening 200+ drops in a matter of seconds, something that was previously impossible without third-party mods like BakkesMod.
  • Call for Multi-Open: While the skip button is a huge step forward, some players are already asking for a “Select All” or “Open All” button to clear an entire category of drops with one click.
  • Third-Party Mods: Users who previously used mods to skip these animations noted that having a native, official solution is much more stable and reduces the risk of game crashes during inventory loading.

This update shows that the developers are listening to feedback regarding UI friction. While it is not a gameplay mechanic, the skip button removes a significant point of frustration for the community.