If you’ve ever come across a Rocket League player cruising around with a one-of-a-kind animated Octane decal or a glowing set of limited-edition wheels, you’ve probably wondered how to get your hands on those exact items for your own car. Learning how to get blueprints in Rocket League is the most consistent way to unlock specific cosmetic designs, no random loot box luck or overpriced item shop purchases required. I’ve been playing the game daily since it went free-to-play, and I’ve unlocked over 400 blueprints across casual, competitive, and limited-time event modes. I’ve tested every possible method to earn, trade, and craft blueprints, and I’ve cut out all the useless grind hacks that don’t actually work to put together this actionable guide.
How to Get Blueprints in Rocket League Through Regular Gameplay
The easiest, no-cost way to earn blueprints is just by playing regular matches, no extra steps required. After every full match you complete – whether it’s 1v1 competitive, 3v3 casual, or even a silly rumble or hoops match in the extra modes tab – you’ll have a random chance to get a blueprint as a post-match drop. You don’t have to win to earn blueprint drops, so don’t quit early just because your team is down 0-4 with a minute left on the clock. I’ve gotten three separate black market blueprints after lopsided losses in casual play, so sticking around until the final whistle always pays off.
You’ll also get a guaranteed blueprint drop for every 10 matches you complete, regardless of your performance or the mode you’re playing. This guaranteed drop resets every time you hit the 10-match mark, so you can plan around it if you’re grinding for new drops. Drop rates are weighted by rarity, of course: common blueprints make up around 60% of all drops, very rare are around 20%, imports 10%, exotic 5%, and black market blueprints have a roughly 1% drop rate per match.
You don’t have to do anything special to claim these drops, they’ll automatically be added to your inventory as soon as the post-match scoreboard loads. If you’re playing on a console, make sure you’re connected to the internet when you finish the match, or the drop might not sync to your account properly.
Unlock Event-Exclusive Blueprints During Limited-Time Seasons
Regular post-match drops only cover the permanent blueprint pool, but some of the coolest, most sought-after blueprints only show up during limited-time seasonal events. Psyonix runs 4-5 themed events every year, from Haunted Hallows in October to Frosty Fest in December to summer-themed beach events, each with their own unique set of event-only blueprints.
You earn event tokens by completing special event challenges that pop up in your challenge tab during the event. These challenges are usually super easy to knock out: things like scoring 3 goals in casual matches, getting 5 assists in competitive, or even just playing 10 matches of any mode. You can exchange those tokens directly for specific event blueprints, no random drops involved, so you can pick exactly the designs you want instead of crossing your fingers for a good post-match drop.
Event blueprints never return to the regular item pool after the event ends, so if you see a design you love during a seasonal event, grab it while you can. I still kick myself for skipping the 2022 Haunted Hallows ghost Fennec decal, because it hasn’t been available in any form in the two years since the event ended. Many events also offer discounted blueprint bundles, where you can get 3-4 matching blueprints (like a decal, wheels, boost, and topper set) for 30-40% fewer tokens than you’d pay to buy them all separately. These bundles are a great deal if you want to build a full themed car for the season.
Trade Blueprints With Other Players to Get Exact Designs You Want
After a few months of regular play, you’ll probably end up with a stack of duplicate blueprints or ones for items you never plan to build. Instead of letting them collect dust in your inventory, you can trade them with other players to get the exact blueprints you’ve been searching for.
First, a quick rule note: Psyonix requires you to have purchased at least 500 credits in the past to use the in-game trading system. This rule is in place to cut down on scam bots that create fake accounts to steal items from new players, so you’ll have to spend a one-time $5 if you haven’t bought credits before to unlock trading. When you’re trading, keep in mind that common blueprints are worth almost nothing, so you’ll usually need to trade 5-10 common blueprints for a single very rare one, or multiple rare blueprints for an exotic or black market one.
Always check the current market value of a blueprint before you agree to a trade to avoid getting ripped off – rare limited-edition event blueprints can be worth hundreds of credits, while common post-match drops are usually only worth 5-10 credits each. If you’re new to trading, follow these simple rules to stay safe:
- Never accept a trade that forces you to send your blueprint first before receiving the one you agreed to, even if the other player promises to send it right after
- Avoid trading with players who contact you out of the blue offering "too good to be true" deals, like a free black market blueprint in exchange for a common one
- Only use the official in-game trading system, never external platforms that ask for your account login details or credit card information
I’ve traded dozens of blueprints over the years, and the only bad experience I had was when I didn’t check the value of a black market interstellar decal blueprint before trading it for a common Fennec decal I thought was rare. Take an extra 30 seconds to confirm the value of the blueprint you’re trading, and you’ll avoid that kind of stupid mistake.
Use Blueprint Build Discounts to Save Credits When Crafting
Earning or trading for the blueprint you want is only half the process – you still need to spend credits to build it into a usable item you can equip to your car. But you don’t have to pay full price for every build, there are lots of easy ways to get discounts on those costs.
First, Psyonix runs weekly blueprint discount events where specific rarity or theme blueprints are 20-50% off to build. These discounts rotate every week, so if you have a high-cost black market blueprint you want to build, it’s worth waiting a few weeks to see if it goes on sale. Wait for these sales if you’re building a high-cost blueprint – you can save 200-300 credits on black market items if you hold off for a sale instead of building immediately.
If you have a premium Rocket Pass subscription, you also get a permanent 10% discount on all blueprint builds, which adds up fast if you craft a lot of items. The premium Rocket Pass only costs 1000 credits, and you can earn all 1000 credits back by leveling up the pass to tier 70, so it’s basically a free discount if you play regularly. Another great way to make use of unwanted blueprints is the trade-up system. You can trade 5 unbuilt blueprints of the same rarity to get one random blueprint of the next higher rarity, or 5 built items of the same rarity to get one random built item of the next higher rarity. This is a perfect way to get rid of duplicate common blueprints you don’t want for a chance at a rare, exotic, or even black market blueprint.
You can also trade up built items if you don’t want them, instead of letting them sit unused in your inventory. I traded up 5 common unbuilt blueprints last month and got a very rare animated tropical decal for my Octane that I’d been searching for for over a year, so it’s definitely worth trying if you have a stack of low-rarity blueprints taking up space in your inventory.
At the end of the day, learning how to get blueprints in Rocket League doesn’t have to involve endless grinding or spending tons of real money on random item packs. Stick to completing full matches to earn regular drops, keep an eye out for limited-time event blueprints you can grab with event tokens, trade safely with other players to get the exact designs you want, and wait for build discounts to save credits when you’re ready to craft. You don’t have to spend a fortune to make your car stand out. I’ve built a full custom set of decals, wheels, boosts, and goal explosions for my main Fennec without spending any extra money outside of my annual premium Rocket Pass subscription, just by using the methods I laid out above. Take your time, don’t rush into trades or builds, and you’ll have the exact car design you’ve been dreaming of before you know it.
