If you’ve spent any amount of time in Rocket League casual or ranked lobbies, you’ve almost certainly seen it: the bright yellow, giant Fortnite Battle Bus rolling across the pitch, blowing past opponents and scoring goals that look way too silly to be real. It’s one of the most recognizable crossover items Psyonix has ever added to the game, and for good reason: it’s goofy, it stands out, and it’s a fun nod to one of the biggest gaming franchises of the last decade. If you’ve ever wondered how to get the battle bus car in Rocket League, you’re in the right place. We’re breaking down every legitimate way to unlock it, no sketchy hacks or paid scams required, plus all the common pitfalls you need to avoid to keep your account safe while you grind.
How to get the battle bus car in Rocket League via original limited-time event unlock
The Battle Bus first launched as part of the 2021 Llama-Rama crossover event between Rocket League and Fortnite, and it was 100% free for all players who completed a short list of challenges during the event window. I still remember staying up until 2 a.m. with my college roommates during that first event, grinding casual 3v3 matches just to check off all the unlock requirements. We’d lost 7 matches in a row to teams that were clearly also grinding for the Battle Bus, but when we finally got that pop-up notification saying we’d unlocked it, we all cheered loud enough to wake the neighbors.
Back then, the requirements were simple: link your Epic Games account to your Rocket League profile, play 5 online matches in any casual or competitive playlist, win 3 online matches, and earn 10 assists across any game mode. If you were playing Rocket League back then and completed those original challenges, you don’t have to do anything extra: the Battle Bus is already waiting for you in your garage, under the “Crossover” tab of your car inventory. You can even equip the matching Battle Bus topper and boost that came with the original unlock to complete the look.
Psyonix has rerun the Llama-Rama event twice since the original 2021 launch, once in 2022 and again in 2023, with slightly adjusted challenges each time. During the 2023 rerun, for example, players could unlock the Battle Bus by scoring 10 goals in casual matches and playing 2 games with a friend who already had the original Battle Bus unlock. If you participated in any of those reruns and completed the listed challenges, you should also have the Battle Bus in your inventory already.
How to get the Battle Bus if you missed the original Llama-Rama events
If you started playing Rocket League after the last Llama-Rama rerun, don’t panic: Psyonix regularly brings back popular crossover events for new players, and the Battle Bus is almost always included in Llama-Rama reruns. The devs have confirmed multiple times that they have no plans to retire the crossover permanently, so it’s only a matter of time before it’s available to unlock again.
You can't trade for the Battle Bus, no matter what you see in trade chat or on social media. All crossover items from Fortnite, and other big franchise collabs, are marked as non-tradable to keep the event rewards exclusive to players who put in the work during the event window. That means you can’t buy it from another player, trade items for it, or get it as a drop from random loot crates. The only way to get it is to complete the official challenges during a Llama-Rama event, or purchase it from the in-game item shop when it’s featured during crossover events.
To make sure you don’t miss the next time the Battle Bus is available, follow these simple steps:
- Turn on in-game event notifications so you get an alert the second a new crossover event goes live, even if you haven’t logged in for a few weeks
- Follow the official Rocket League X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok accounts, where they drop event teasers 1-2 weeks before launch, including full challenge lists and reward previews
- Join active Rocket League community Discord servers, where members often leak or share event details ahead of official announcements, so you can start preparing early
You can also keep an eye on the in-game item shop during Fortnite-themed seasons, as Psyonix occasionally adds the Battle Bus to the shop for 800-1200 credits for a limited time, even outside of full Llama-Rama events. I saw it pop up for 1000 credits last October during the Fortnitemares crossover, so it’s worth checking the shop once a week if you’re eager to get your hands on it quickly.
Common mistakes to avoid when trying to unlock the Battle Bus
Since the Battle Bus is such a sought-after item, scammers have created dozens of fake sites and offers to take advantage of players who don’t know better. I’ve had at least 3 friends reach out to me in the last year asking if a site they found that gives free Battle Bus codes is real, and every single one of those sites was a phishing scam designed to steal their Epic account credentials.
Never trust third-party sites that claim to give you free Battle Bus codes. You will never get a legitimate Rocket League unlock code from a third-party site that isn’t directly run by Epic or Psyonix. If a site asks you to enter your account password, or complete random surveys to get a code, close it immediately. It’s not worth losing your entire account, all your existing items, and your ranked progress just for a chance at a cosmetic car.
Don't waste credits on fake trade offers either. If you see someone in trade chat offering to sell you the Battle Bus for 500 credits, they’re lying. As we mentioned earlier, the Battle Bus is non-tradable, so they can’t transfer it to your account even if you send them the credits first. Most of these scammers will block you immediately after you send them the items, and Psyonix won’t refund you for lost credits if you fall for the scam.
Always link your Epic Games account to your Rocket League profile to qualify for all crossover unlocks, including the Battle Bus. Even if you play exclusively on console, you need a linked Epic account to access any Fortnite or other cross-franchise rewards. It takes 2 minutes to set up, and it also lets you sync your progress across all platforms, so you can keep all your items if you switch from PlayStation to Xbox or PC later on.
What to do while you wait for the Battle Bus to return
The wait for the next Llama-Rama event can feel long, but there are plenty of things you can do in the meantime to prepare, so you can unlock the Battle Bus as soon as it’s available. First, start saving up credits if you want to buy it from the item shop when it pops up. You can earn free credits by completing seasonal battle pass challenges, or you can purchase them directly if you don’t want to grind. 1000 credits is usually enough to cover the cost if it’s added to the shop, so aim to save at least that much to be safe.
The Battle Bus uses the Merc hitbox, which is one of the largest in the game, with a wide front and tall profile that makes it perfect for blocking shots and winning aerial challenges. If you spend a few weeks practicing with the base Merc car now, you’ll be able to jump right into matches with the Battle Bus as soon as you unlock it, no awkward adjustment period required. I started practicing with the Merc 2 months before the last Llama-Rama rerun, and I was scoring hat tricks with the Battle Bus on the first day I unlocked it.
You can also pick up other Fortnite crossover items that are already available in the item shop, like the Peely topper or the Llama boost, to match your Battle Bus when you finally unlock it. These items are usually available for 200-300 credits each, and they’re a fun way to build out your Fortnite-themed loadout ahead of time. If you play Fortnite too, you can even unlock the Rocket League Octane car in Fortnite to complete the crossover circle on both games.
At the end of the day, the Battle Bus is one of the most fun cosmetic items you can add to your Rocket League garage, and you don’t have to jump through hoops or risk your account to get it. All you have to do is keep an eye out for the next Llama-Rama crossover event, make sure your Epic account is linked, and complete the required challenges when they go live. Now you know exactly how to get the battle bus car in Rocket League, so you can stop falling for scam offers and start preparing for its next release. Before you know it, you’ll be rolling across the pitch in that iconic yellow bus, scoring goals and annoying opponents just like the rest of us who unlocked it years ago.
