Grimes is collaborating with Rocket League for a new in-game event called Neon Nights.
This might not seem like the most logical pairing in the entertainment industry, given that Grimes has nothing to do with either soccer or cars. Nevertheless, she undeniably has a unique sense of style and an eccentric persona (why else would you name a baby X Æ A-12) that could mesh well with Psyonix's equally oddball sports game.
Rocket League has done crossovers in the past, with the likes of James Bond and the DC Universe, but those made a lot more immediate sense. After all, you can easily translate the Batmobile or the Aston Martin Valhalla into a car game, but the work of an electronic pop artist is a less natural fit.
In fact, this is actually Rocket League's first ever music-themed event. To clarify, Neon Nights is not going to be one of those virtual concerts that are becoming increasingly popular (like the Ariana Grande tour in Fortnite), although it will feature limited-time challenges, cosmetic rewards and the return of a fan-favorite game mode.
When Is the Neon Nights Grimes Event in 'Rocket League'?
The collaboration has been devised to promote Grimes' upcoming single, "Shinigami Eyes," which itself will be released on January 26.
To tie in with the release of "Shinigami Eyes," the Rocket League event will also be starting on Wednesday, January 26. It will run until Tuesday, February 8.
What Is Included in the Neon Nights Event?
The Neon Nights event will introduce a number of limited-time challenges, that you can complete to unlock 10 different rewards that are all themed around Grimes.
These cosmetic items take the usual forms (decals, wheels, banners etc.) and are listed below:
- "Player of Games" Player Anthem
- "Shinigami Eyes" Player Anthem
- Gravitator Topper
- Space Queen Topper
- Braided Trail
- Grimes Decal
- Grimes Wheels
- Grimes Player Banner
- Fireworks Universal Decal
- Uncanny Grimes-themed Boost
Psyonix has yet to reveal the precise unlock criteria for these rewards (some of which are featured in the slideshow below), but it will be linked to finishing the Neon Nights challenges.
In addition to the Grimes-themed cosmetics, Neon Nights will also see the return of "Heatseeker Ricochet". This game type (which sees the ball getting exponentially faster every time it is hit, until somebody eventually scores a goal) will be available for the full duration of the limited-time event. As such, you will have a fortnight to enjoy the Heatseeker Ricochet mode before it phases out of rotation.
Finally, players will be able to earn "Golden Moons" during Neon Nights. According to the official Rocket League blog post, these collectables can then be used to redeem items from either the Impact, Nitro or Overdrive bundles.
Rocket League is available now on PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch.
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