You’ve heard it. Even if you don’t play the game, you’ve probably seen the clip. A frantic, screeching voice yelling "This is Rocket League!" over a crowd of thousands losing their minds. It’s more than just a meme. It’s the definitive moment of a sport that shouldn't exist—car football—and it captures the absolute chaos that happens when physics, pressure, and a giant exploding ball collide in a digital arena.
Honestly, it’s rare for a single phrase to define an entire esport. Usually, these things are forced. Marketing teams try to make catchphrases happen, but they almost always fail because gamers can smell the corporate polish from a mile away. But this was different. This was raw.
When Justin "jstn" Morales hit that shot in 2018, he didn’t just tie a game; he validated a community. Rocket League is a weird game. It’s hard. It’s punishing. You spend your first fifty hours just trying to touch the ball, and your next five hundred trying to fly. This moment, and the call that followed, gave all that frustration a purpose.
The Anatomy of the Shot: June 10, 2018
To understand why this is Rocket League became a cultural reset for gaming, you have to look at the scoreboard of the RLCS Season 5 World Championship. NRG was playing Team Dignitas. It was Game 7. The final game. The score was 2-3 in favor of Dignitas.
There were zero seconds on the clock.
In Rocket League, the game doesn't end when the clock hits zero; it ends when the ball touches the ground. If you can keep the ball in the air, you can play forever. NRG needed a goal to force overtime. They were desperate. The ball bounced off the wall, then the floor-side corner, and then, miraculously, jstn—a rookie who was only 15 at the time—flew off the wall and slammed it into the top corner of the net.
The crowd didn't just cheer. They erupted. In the caster booth, Jack "Courage" Dunlop and Caleb "WavePunk" Simmons were losing their collective composure. Amidst the screaming, the screeching, and the sheer disbelief of a zero-second equalizer in a World Final, the words "THIS IS ROCKET LEAGUE!" were shouted into the microphone. It was the perfect distillation of the insanity we were all witnessing.
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Why It Stuck (And Why It Still Matters)
Why do we still talk about this? It’s been years. Most esports moments have a shelf life of about six months before the next big thing happens.
I think it’s because Rocket League is one of the few games that is "pure." There are no classes, no power-ups, no random number generators, and no lucky headshots. If the ball goes in, it’s because you hit it there. If you miss, it’s your fault. That level of mechanical purity means that when something impossible happens, it feels truly earned.
The phrase became a shorthand for that specific brand of "anything can happen" energy. Now, you’ll see it in the in-game quick chat. People use it when someone scores an accidental own-goal, or when a ball pinballs across the ceiling, or when a match ends in a 5-minute overtime. It transitioned from a literal description of a moment to a sarcastic commentary on the game's inherent jankiness, and finally, into a badge of honor for the player base.
The Evolution of the "Rocket League" Identity
Psyonix, the developers, knew they had lightning in a bottle. They eventually added the voice line as a "Quick Chat" option and a "Player Anthem." But more importantly, the moment shifted how the game was marketed. It stopped being "soccer with cars" and started being "Rocket League"—a distinct entity with its own gravity.
Since that 2018 final, the game has gone free-to-play and moved under the Epic Games umbrella. It has changed. The cars look different, the trading system is gone (which a lot of people are still salty about, understandably), and the skill ceiling has moved so high it's practically in orbit. But that core identity—the 0:00 pressure—remains.
What People Get Wrong About the Skill Gap
New players see a clip of jstn or Zen and think, "I could never do that." And they're right. You can't. Not yet.
The biggest misconception about this game is that it's about "driving." It's not. It’s about aerial geometry and boost management. The "This is Rocket League" moment was the first time the general public saw what "High Level" actually looked like. It wasn't just hitting a ball; it was a 15-year-old calculating the arc of a bouncing object while traveling at supersonic speeds in three-dimensional space, all while his hands were likely shaking from the pressure of a $250,000 prize pool.
The Technical Reality Behind the Meme
Let's get real for a second about the physics. In that specific 2018 play, the ball was kept alive by four different touches before jstn hit the finisher.
- Fireburner (NRG) kept it up near the mid-field.
- GarrettG (NRG) popped it toward the backboard.
- A Dignitas defender actually almost cleared it, but it pinched off the wall.
- Jstn timed his jump perfectly to meet the rebound.
If any of those players had been a millisecond slower, the ball hits the grass, the buzzer sounds, and Dignitas wins. This isn't like a buzzer-beater in basketball where the ball is in the air. In Rocket League, the players have to keep it in the air. That’s a level of agency you don't find in traditional sports.
Beyond the Meme: How to Actually Improve
If you're reading this because you want to have your own "This is Rocket League" moment, you need to stop chasing the ball. Seriously. Stop.
Most players in Bronze, Silver, and Gold ranks suffer from what the community calls "ball chasing." They see the shiny thing and they drive toward it. But the secret to the jstn goal wasn't just his skill; it was his positioning. He wasn't where the ball was; he was where the ball was going to be.
- Master the Half-Flip: It's the most basic "advanced" move. It allows you to change direction without losing momentum. If you can't half-flip, you're a stationary target.
- Shadow Defense: Don't rush the attacker. Drive back toward your own goal at the same speed as them. It forces them to make a move first.
- Free Play is Your Best Friend: Spend 20 minutes before you queue just hitting the ball as hard as you can against the walls. Don't try to score. Just try to read the bounces.
The Legacy of a Shout
Looking back, the Season 5 finals were the peak of a certain era of gaming. It was before everything became ultra-sanitized and hyper-produced. The casting was messy, the players were kids in jerseys that didn't quite fit, and the game was still finding its footing.
When we say "This is Rocket League" today, we’re nodding to that history. We’re acknowledging that this game is frustrating, beautiful, glitchy, and exhilarating all at once. It’s a reminder that even when the clock hits zero, you still have a chance as long as you can keep the ball off the ground.
Actionable Steps for the Aspiring Pro
You probably won't be the next jstn. Sorry. But you can definitely get out of Platinum.
First, go into your settings. Turn off Camera Shake. I’m serious. It’s the first thing every pro does. It makes the game feel smoother and helps you actually see what’s happening during high-impact plays.
Second, change your keybindings. The default controls for air roll and powerslide are usually mapped to the same button (often X or Square), which is a nightmare for your thumb. Move "Air Roll Left" or "Air Roll Right" to your bumpers (L1/R1 or LB/RB). This allows you to boost, jump, and rotate your car simultaneously. It’ll feel weird for three days. After that, you’ll wonder how you ever played without it.
Lastly, watch your replays. Not the ones where you won 5-0. Watch the ones where you got smoked. Look at where you were when the opponent scored. Nine times out of ten, you weren't "beaten" by a better shot; you were out of position. Fix your rotations, and the "This is Rocket League" moments will start happening for you, too.
Actually, one more thing. Turn off the chat if people get toxic. The community is... passionate. Sometimes a little too passionate. "What a save!" can only be read ironically so many times before it gets to you. Mute them, focus on the ball, and keep it in the air.
That’s how you win. That’s how you play. That is Rocket League.