If you’ve spent any time grinding Rocket League matches, you’ve probably stumbled across a locked crate sitting in your inventory, taunting you with hints of rare decals, black market wheels, or even limited-edition cars. Figuring out how to open Rocket League crates doesn’t have to be confusing, but there are a lot of bad tips floating around online that can leave you wasting credits or even risking your account. I’ve been playing Rocket League since it first launched, and I’ve opened well over 300 crates across my main and smurf accounts, so I’ve picked up every trick for getting the most value out of every unlock. This guide breaks down exactly what you need to do, what to avoid, and how to maximize your odds of walking away with something you actually want to use.
What You Need Before You Open Rocket League Crates
First off, you don’t need any special third-party tools or mods to unlock crates, despite what random comments on social media might tell you. Every official crate unlock happens directly through the Rocket League client, so you never have to enter your account details anywhere else to get access to your loot. The two core things you’ll need are:
- A locked, eligible crate in your in-game inventory (note that some legacy crates from before the 2020 transition to free-to-play can only be opened with leftover legacy keys)
- Enough premium credits to cover the unlock fee (most standard crates cost 100 credits to open, while limited-time event crates can cost up to 200 credits depending on the rarity of loot inside)
- A stable internet connection to avoid glitches that can lock you out of your loot mid-unlock (I’ve had this happen once during a ranked match lag spike, and I had to contact support to get my item 3 days later)
It’s worth noting that credits can be purchased directly through the in-game store, earned via the Rocket Pass, or traded for with other players using eligible tradable items you already own. Never buy credits from third-party resellers, even if they offer steep discounts. Psyonix actively bans accounts that use unofficial credit sources, and you’ll lose all your crates, items, and progress if you get caught.
Step-by-Step Process to Unlock Your Crates In-Game
Once you have all the required materials, opening your crate takes less than a minute if you follow the right order. First, launch Rocket League and navigate to your main inventory tab from the home screen. You’ll find all your crates sorted under the “Crates” sub-tab, listed by rarity and release date.
Next, select the crate you want to open, and click the “Unlock” button that pops up on the right side of the screen. You’ll see a confirmation prompt that shows you how many credits you’ll be charged, plus a preview of all possible items you can get from that specific crate. Always double check the cost before you confirm – I once accidentally opened a 200 credit event crate when I meant to open a standard 100 credit one, and I had no way to reverse the charge.
After you confirm, you’ll see the classic crate opening animation play out, with the loot wheel spinning until it lands on your final item. You can skip the animation if you want by pressing the X or A button depending on your platform, but I always like to watch it for the hype, especially if I’m opening a crate with a high chance of black market items. Once the animation finishes, your new item will be automatically added to your inventory. You can equip it right away, save it for later, or list it for trade if it’s a tradable item you don’t want. Most items from standard crates are tradable after 72 hours, but event crate items are often untradeable, so keep that in mind before you spend your credits.
Tips to Boost Your Odds of Getting Rare Loot
A lot of players swear by weird hacks for getting rarer items, like opening crates at specific times of day or spinning the analog stick during the animation, but none of those tricks actually work. The loot pool for every crate is pre-determined when you pick up the crate drop, so there’s no way to manipulate the outcome mid-unlock. That said, there are a few legitimate things you can do to get more value out of every crate you open.
First, prioritize opening limited-time event crates first if you have them. These crates have exclusive items that are only available for the duration of the event, and they sell for far more in player trades once the event ends, even if you get a common item from the pool. I once opened a Halloween event crate a week after the event ended, got a common pumpkin decal, and traded it for 3 standard crates plus a rare wheel set, just because it was no longer available.
Another good tip is to save up crates of the same series and open them all in one sitting. While this doesn’t boost your individual odds of getting a rare item, it does increase your overall chance of walking away with at least one high-value drop in the batch, just from pure probability. I usually save up 10 crates of the same series before opening them, and I’ve gotten a black market item roughly one out of every three batches, which is right in line with the official 6% drop rate for black market items. You should also avoid opening crates that have items you don’t actually care about. If a crate series only has decals for cars you never use, there’s no point in wasting 100 credits on it, even if the rare items are technically valuable. You’re far better off saving those credits for a crate series that has items you’ll actually equip, or trading the crate directly to another player for something you want right away.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Opening Crates
Even if you follow the steps perfectly, it’s easy to make small mistakes that cost you credits or leave you disappointed with your unlocks. The most common mistake I see new players make is spending all their credits on crates as soon as they get them, without checking what’s in the loot pool first. A lot of newer players don’t realize that some crate series have terrible loot pools with mostly low-value decals, and you’re basically throwing your credits away if you open them.
Another big mistake is using third-party crate opening websites that claim to give you better odds than the official game. These sites are almost always scams, designed to steal your account credentials or trick you into spending real money on items you’ll never actually receive. Psyonix does not partner with any third-party crate opening sites, so any site that claims to be official is lying.
I also see a lot of players get caught up in the “gambler’s fallacy” when opening crates, where they think if they open 10 crates and get nothing but common items, their next crate is guaranteed to have a rare drop. That’s not how probability works – every crate has the exact same odds of dropping a rare item, no matter how many crates you’ve opened before. If you’re on a cold streak, take a break instead of spending more credits chasing a drop that might never come. Finally, don’t open tradeable crates if you’re low on credits. You can usually sell a standard tradeable crate to another player for 50 to 75 credits, which is half the cost of opening it, and you can use those credits to buy a specific item you want instead of gambling on a random drop. That’s a far better strategy if you’re saving up for a specific black market decal or limited car.
At the end of the day, opening Rocket League crates is supposed to be a fun bonus to your regular gameplay, not a chore or a way to get rich quick. If you follow the steps we’ve laid out, avoid the common pitfalls, and only spend credits you can afford to burn, you’ll have a way better time with your unlocks, and you’ll be far more likely to walk away with items you actually love. Next time you find a shiny new crate in your inventory after a big ranked win, you’ll know exactly how to open Rocket League crates safely and get the most value out of every unlock. Just don’t get too upset if you pull three common decals in a row – we’ve all been there.
