Rocket League has a growing number of arenas that offer a great variety in the vastly popular e-sport, Soccar. With double-digit arenas in the competitive rotation for 3v3, 2v2, and 1v1, let’s try to rank Rocket League’s arenas from worst to best!
15) Deadeye Canyon
Deadeye Canyon is Season 4’s latest, but not-so-greatest arena. It’s centered around the season’s cowboy theme and launched in August of 2021. As the name implies, you play in a desert canyon supposedly around high noon. This arena gives you all the western feels you need. Unfortunately, this arena is quite bright. Some, me included, would argue that it is too bright. Bright to the point of causing me to squint. Another arena, Salty Shores, had this issue upon launch and eventually the developers released a night time version of it. I’m hoping Epic eventually does something to improve the space since the rest of thearena is quite fun. I recommend replacing some of the orange-yellow with brown tones to tone down the vibrant environment. The whistle on goals is hilariously annoying, as well. We aren’t dogs!
14) Salty Shores
Rocket League’s former most hated arena, Salty Shores, suffered from extreme brightness. A bright sun bouncing off glistening sand. What could go wrong? Thankfully, the much more calmed down night version has plenty of upside. You can catch a beachside theme park in the background. It’s flanked by the ocean, which is littered with plenty of sailboats and some oceanside cliffs.
13) Neon Fields
Perhaps the rarest arena in terms of frequency on this list, Neon Fields also boasts the most unique aesthetic. Even crazier are the variants that make appearances in non-standard game modes. This map suffers when you run into a squad match where each team has a dark color scheme. While the bottom two arenas suffered from brightness, Neon Fields, unfortunately, leans heavilyin the other direction.
12) Starbase ARC
Before Rocket League realized that non-standard arenas were not a good thing, Starbase ARC debuted as an octagonal nightmare back in 2016. When playing Rumble, it made things entertaining, but not in the competitive or even standard casual matches. Eventually the arena was standardized, but the theme still misses the mark. Replacing the dark green turf with a more lunar appropriate palette might bump Starbase ARC toward the upper-half of the list.
11) Wasteland
Similar to Starbase ARC, Wasteland is the standardized version of a previous debacle called Badlands. Badlands might have been the worst map ever released due to its close-but-not-close appearance. With the sides of the arena elevated, balls would roll toward the goals no matter what. However, this ranking isn’t based on Badlands, but the competitive version. It just leaves me wanting more. Also, the loud Mad Max drumline that plays after goals will eventually trigger you.
10) Champions Field
Not to take the easy way out, but the rest of this list could be fairly interchangeable based on your own preferences. Back in 2017, Champions Field was released during the second-anniversary update of Rocket League. There’s not too much to say about the arena. It offers a solid, no-thrills background so the focus can stay on the gameplay.
9) Farmstead
Farmstead was released as part of the 2017 Autumn update. One of the more unique maps, it plops the players down in the middle of a farm. You’ll find broken down tractors, animals, and of course, a big red barn on the exterior. Some players may complain about the setting sun behind a large red maple tree on one side. It pales in comparison to the sunlight in Salty Shores or Deadeye Canyon. A special note about Farmstead’s special version featuring Stranger Things’ Upside Down – while this version of the map looks 10x cooler, the side playing into the sun are at quite the disadvantage. Not a good idea for competitive gameplay.
8) AquaDome
AquaDome lands around the middle of the pack due to some potentially polarizing decisions. A very unique setting being played under the ocean, players are greeted with plenty of sea life moving around the exterior. There are fish, jellies, and a large shark that patrols the top. The lighting in AquaDome is amongst the best in the game with plenty of sea blues and no glaring sunlight. However, depending on if dolphins noises give you joy or misery, AquaDome may need to move up or down on this list.
7) Utopia Coliseum
Utopia Coliseum is an OG arena. Another arena that minimizes exterior distractions, Utopia features a coliseum-like stadium of cheering fans on a clear sky day. Personally, I prefer the dusk version of the map, but either one is optimal for enjoying Rocket League.
6) DFH Stadium
Another popular arena, DFH Stadium falls just outside of the top 5. An arena featuring a much more modernized stadium around the pitch backed by a city skyline. It has a day, stormy, and even snowy variant. For those of you who still play local Season mode, DFH Stadium appears as one of two venues for your championship matches. And for those wondering, DFH stands for David F. Hagewood, Psyonix CEO and Studio Director.
5) Urban Central
Urban Central takes place underneath/inside of a futuristic train station. Like many others in the top 10, it has a few versions – rainy, dawn, and night. Regardless of the variant, Urban Central lands high because of its palette. The floor is a mixture of grays and green which allow for the ball and cars to pop more. The overhead and exterior offer a great alternative without being too loud and distracting. You’ll even hear a train departing from time to time.
4) Forbidden Temple
Forbidden Temple launched during January 2020’s Lucky Lanterns event. With an obvious lean on Asian culture with pagodas everywhere, Forbidden Temple seems like a more eastern take on Utopia Coliseum. With stands on each side, the goals are backed by a waterfall on one and a misty mountain range on the other. And while it has a day variant, its original dawn version provides my personal favorite lighting of all maps. It really softens the arena’s colors so you can relax and focus on your struggling mechanics!
3) Mannfield
Those that play on Mannfield arena might feel the quite deliberate ode to the big leagues of football (or soccer or soccar). With a massive stadium surrounding the pitch it gives the most championship-esque appearance of any of the other arenas, short of DFH Stadium. Speaking of, Mannfield is the other arena which will be used for championship matches in Season mode. Not only that, you will often see Mannfield used in online tournaments and the RLCS. It has many variants and little flaws, earning it a spot in the top 3.
2) Beckwith Park
Whereas Mannfield is the stadium you play at when you’ve reached it big time, Beckwith Park is reminiscent of the start of a great career. Not coincidentally, this is also the arena used for training. Beckwith Park is surrounded by trees and a few small bleachers with a cityscape in the background. It was even inspired by two developers’ childhood parks. Beckwith gives the vibe of being here just for the game, no distractions. Let’s play ball! It would be the best arena in the game if not for this final choice.
1) Neo Tokyo
If you’ve played Neo Tokyo’s arena in Rocket League there isn’t really a need to say anything else. For everyone else, let me spell it out for you. As the name implies, Neo Tokyo is set in a rainy, futuristic Japanese metropolis. The arena does not suffer from being too bright or too dark due to the very lively exterior. None of that would land Neo Tokyo in the top 10 if it weren’t for the best part. The announcer in Neo Tokyo is a gift that keeps giving. In a satisfying hype voice that often matches the game’s intensity, the announcer will exclaim during goals, saves, and even count down the final 10 seconds of the match. All in Japanese. I’m sure some (perhaps many) get tired of the announcer occasionally, but he still has a way of elevating a highlight to the next level.
I wish the developers would take more time to add more announcer-focused content to the game. This is an area that could really enhance the audio experience of Rocket League. And before any naysayers start saying anything, this could easily be handled with an on/off switch.
That’s All For Now
How was the ranking? What arena is your favorite and what is your least favorite? Is there an arena type Rocket League should explore for a future update? Let us know!
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