6500 hours is a long time to play the same game.

In that time I've gone from barely being able to hit the ball, to having enough experience to just barely sneak my way into top 100--even if only for a brief few days. I've gone from knowing nearly nothing about this game's mechanics, to having tinkered with its inner workings enough to have earned two White Hats. I've gone from refusing to put on any topper, to using the same damn cat ears for over 80,000 goals.

This game has been a very important part of my life, and there's a lot I want to say.

If it's ok to be a bit of a jackass for a moment though, I want to lead with the request--not because I think it's important, but because I want to get it out of the way before getting to the parts that truly matter.

For anyone who knows me, it's no small secret that I loved the old Masamune. I've gone into great detail in the past about what I felt made the car great, so I'll try to avoid rehashing old ground. In short, I only want to ask that Psyonix would consider exploring diversity in car selection a bit. For me, turning the Masamune into a Dominus clone was like playing an MMO only to have my favorite class removed, or like playing an FPS only for my favorite type of gun to be nerfed into oblivion. It was a defining moment in Rocket League's lifespan for me, and not in a good way, but...

That's not what I want to focus on right now. So let's not.

I want to start off by apologizing to the community--specifically to anyone I've ever been toxic to. With few exceptions, most of the time when I was too upset and said things I shouldn't have, it wasn't because of you. You did nothing wrong. I would get frustrated with the game, or in many cases, even just myself, except in that moment of anger and frustration, the only people there to lash out at were those in front of me. I'd try to avoid from doing so, and there were certain lines I might never cross, but if I've ever said anything rude, disrespectful, or otherwise to you: I am sorry. I know that doesn't make it better, but I mean it. I hope that you have continued to enjoy the game regardless, and that you continue to improve and have fun.

And hey, for what it's worth, if you were able to piss me off, you were probably kicking my ass. Well done, and keep it up.

As for Psyonix...

Thank you.

Thank you for creating a game that I could enjoy for literally thousands of hours. Thank you for listening to your community, thank you for trying your hardest to create a game that is first and foremost fun, enjoyable, and designed with the players in mind, rather than seeking after raw profits. Thank you for creating an environment that let me meet some amazing people, some of which I'd call some of my closest friends... people I might never have met if not for your game. Thank you for everything you have done, thank you for all the hard work you put into this game.

Thank you for quite literally changing my life.

I hate getting emotional, but if it's ok to get a bit sappy right now for just a moment, please understand the weight that comes with these words when I type them with tears in my eyes thinking about everything Rocket League has done for me, both directly and indirectly:

To everyone at Psyonix, thank you so. Fucking. Much.

For everything.

...I really do hate getting emotional, but sometimes, some things just need to be said, you know?

Anyway, as the title says: a request, an apology, a thank you. That really only leaves one part, doesn't it?

I don't know if it's right to call this a proper "goodbye" or not. I know for certain I haven't fully given up on the game, and I'll certainly still play it here and there.

I suppose it's more that I suspect this is where the slow goodbye begins--that moment where I start to walk away from a game, still revisiting it now and then, but... nowhere near as much as before.

For the most part, I've given up any dreams of ever becoming a pro and entering RLCS. I've given up trying to maintain my status as a top 100 capable player, and, hell, I've even given up worrying about maintaining my skill as GC level player. That fire inside me to push to be the best just isn't there any more, and unless something changes, I don't expect it to return.

I guess you could say it's something like when a pro decides he wants to only play the game here and there, and only ever casually at that--just with me skipping the "actually being a pro" part.

Really though, I just... didn't want to wait until I had fully forgotten the game to say my goodbyes. I'd worry that I'd wait too long, and that I'd miss my chance to say thanks to those who had changed my life forever.

And I suppose, for the most part, that's what I needed to say most.

So again, one last time:

To Psyonix,

To the community,

To all of you,

Thank you. For everything.