Demolition is a hard skill to master and understand from both the receiving end and execution end. The best way to begin mastering the technique is to learn about the point of demolition, how to execute a proper demolition, and how to dodge a demolition attempt.

Demolition Background

Demolition has been used in "Rocket League" ever since it was released back in 2015. The point of demolition is to allow the player to implement a strategic play to get the ball into the goal. This could also be referred to as getting the ball into the goal by any means necessary.

That being said, there have been some players who join games solely to demo other players, which was a huge stereotype of players ranked as semi-pros/pros.

The use of demolition can lead to heated games as well. Some players get into a headspace where revenge is the only option, thus leading to a game consisting of trying to ram into the player who demolished you, no matter what. It's a no-brainer that the team focusing solely on revenge is most likely going to be losing.

You need to know when and how to implement a proper demolition and how to dodge a one.

Ground Demolitions

Munchies Plays created a montage of the demos they pulled off in one game of Rocket League. The montage starts with the opposing team pulling off a strategic demolition.

Munchie was inside of the goal, prepared to block when one of the opposing team's members came up and demolished them. This allowed the opposing team to score a goal as there was nobody there to defend against them.

You may be asking: How could Munchie even defend against that? It takes a bit of forward-thinking, but if you pause the video at 0:03, you can see the opposing team member coming right at Munchie.

If Munchie double jumped as soon as they saw that team member approach, the demo would never have happened. In fact, the opposing team member would take a bit of time (anywhere from a second or two) to get back out of the goal, time which would have been used for Munchie to block the ball even if the opposing team member bumped them out of the way.

The key element to keep in mind with a player on the ground charging full-force at you is that they are on the ground. The move of demolition can be avoided if a double jump is timed just right. If you jump too soon, the car charging at you can jump up to demo you, while if you're too late you end up demolished. Understanding the timing is based on what car you use as well since there are different hitboxes per car.

Aerial Demolitions

At the 0:29 mark of this video by Top Hat Fox, we can see the performance of a mid-air demolition. These types of demolitions are rare as they are harder to pull off (dodging them are equally as hard). In order to pull off an aerial demolition, you would need a full boost container (at least while you're learning) and a good understanding of how to get yourself stable and maneuver while in the air.

Using short bursts of boost, get yourself to full speed, then ram into the opponent.

The opponent in Top Hat Fox's video could have dodged, but that would have meant raising the possibility of the orange team scoring a point as the ball would have been hit more head-on. To dodge, you would need to turn your car either upwards or downwards, and use short bursts of the boost to get yourself to full speed. Depending on your timing, you should be on the ground or further in the air fully intact.

Key points to remember when it comes to demolition:

  • Aim for players who can easily block the ball from the goal
  • Playing with a more advanced player? only aim to demo at an optimal time (i.e. you have some leeway of some sort)
  • Don't demolish someone just because they did it to you
  • Dodge a ground demo by double jumping at the right time
  • Dodge an aerial demo by short burst boosting either upward or downward from your current position
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