Epic Games has been rolling out secret Rocket League updates to combat DDOS attacks

Epic Games has been rolling out secret Rocket League updates to combat DDOS attacks

As a seasoned Rocket League player with countless hours spent perfecting my aerials and mastering the art of the boosted save, the recent server issues have been a thorn in my side, akin to an uninvited guest at a championship match. The constant DDOS attacks on our beloved game have left me, along with many other players, feeling like we’re playing a never-ending game of whack-a-mole with the server issues.


For months, the higher echelons of the Rocket League player base have been plagued with server issues, which has forced streamers and content creators into hibernation in fear of being smacked offline.

Leading figures such as Alexandre “Kaydop” Courant have been vocal opponents of game developers following persistent Daily Denial-of-Service (DDOS) assaults, which hindered his ability to stream smoothly and earn decent rankings in the Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS).

Currently, Epic Games has disclosed that they have been making updates recently to counteract DDoS attacks and server tampering.

Rocket League devs take stance against DDOS attackers

Epic Games has been rolling out secret Rocket League updates to combat DDOS attacks

In a recent blog post, Epic Games shared that they have implemented a set of solutions aimed at countering common DDoS attack strategies. The goal is to prevent those causing these attacks from gaining any benefits by disrupting matches.

To begin with, we focused on understanding and countering the mechanisms behind DDoS attacks. As per our developers, the primary tactic employed in these assaults is overwhelming servers with a multitude of connections simultaneously. However, Epic has now modified its server behavior to handle incoming connections differently, effectively making this attack method obsolete.

The developers also revealed that they have “dramatically” changed the server infrastructure to reduce matches being targetted, and 

DDOS attacks will now instantly end games with ‘No Contest’ results

As an avid fan, I’m excited to share some updates on enhancements being made to the DDOS protection and server performance of Rocket League! I want to express my gratitude for your understanding as we’ve diligently worked through these improvements. You can find all the details here: [link]

— Rocket League (@RocketLeague) August 23, 2024

 

If players continue to perform Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks on servers, they will no longer impact only a single recipient. Instead, these actions will become less effective in securing free victories since the damage will be spread across multiple parties.

As a dedicated player, I understand that if the servers perceive hostility, they would rather not continue the game as a “No Contest,” thus disregarding any Matchmaking Rank (MMR) differences for that particular match. While this doesn’t entirely deter players from attempting to minimize losses through Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS), it’s indeed a significant stride towards maintaining a fair and enjoyable gaming environment.

The blog post goes on to say that since the recent updates have been active for around four weeks, some players might have already observed a better gaming experience.

“Eliminating those DDoS attack strategies has significantly enhanced the overall caliber of online matches for every player, whether they were under attack or not.”

1. The updates are now active and functioning effectively, with Epic Games committed to constantly watching for new methods that malicious users might employ to tamper with servers. Their ultimate goal is to completely eradicate DDOS attacks.

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2024-08-23 20:12