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Knockout City is an action video game developed by Velan Studios. Publisher Electronic Arts released the game for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in May 2021 under its EA Originals label. Velan Studios took over publishing duties in June 2022, and the game transitioned into a fully free-to-play title on June 1, 2022.

Knockout City
Developer(s)	Velan Studios
Publisher(s)	Electronic Arts (2021–22)[lower-alpha 1] Velan Studios (2022)
Director(s)	Jeremy Russo
Producer(s)	Rich Nolan Jr. Kevin Teich
Programmer(s)	Greg Oberg
Artist(s)	Ben Greene
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows Nintendo Switch PlayStation 4 PlayStation 5 Xbox One Xbox Series X/S
Release	May 21, 2021
Genre(s)	Action
Mode(s)	Multiplayer

Gameplay

Knockout City is a team-based competitive multiplayer video game whose gameplay rules resemble dodgeball. The player's goal is to attack enemies from the opposing team by knocking them out with a ball. There are several types of balls in the game, including the Moon Ball, which allows the player holding the ball to jump higher, and the Bomb Ball, which is a time bomb that explodes on impact. A player can also throw another player as a ball.[1] When ready to throw a ball, the player targets and locks on to an enemy; holding down the throw button charges up the ball for a faster shot that can be more difficult to catch.[2] A successful throw depends not on the accuracy or the precision of the throw, but on the player's positioning and strategy. Players can dodge or catch a ball that is thrown at them, and they will respawn after getting hit by a ball twice. The player can also fake throw a ball, and tackle an opponent holding a ball.[3] As the player progresses in the game, they will receive Holobux, which can be spent at the Brawl Shop to unlock various customization items.[4]

At launch, the game features five maps and six modes. All of the maps are set in a futuristic metropolis named Knockout City, and each map also features various environmental hazards which can knock a player out.[5] The modes announced include Team KO, which is a variant of team deathmatch, Diamond Dash, in which players must collect diamonds dropped by defeated enemies, and Ball-Up Brawl, a four-versus-four mode in which the player must throw their teammates to eliminate enemies.[4] The player can also form a Crew of maximum 32 players.

Development and release

Knockout City was developed by Velan Studios, which had previously released Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit in 2020. The team, which has about 85 employees, spent four years developing the game.[6] Velan Studios described the game as a "dodgebrawl" title, and its CEO, Karthik Bala, added that the team chose dodgeball to be the game's core gameplay loop because it was considered to be an "intuitive" sport.[1] The game was designed to be accessible for both newcomers, while complex enough for competitive players.[5] Velan Studios built an engine named Viper to power the game and created a programming script named V-script, which aimed at countering network latency.[7]

Publisher Electronic Arts announced in March 2019 that it had signed a publishing deal with Velan Studios.[8] It was published under the publisher's EA Originals initiative, which aims at supporting independent games.[9] The game was officially announced via a Nintendo Direct on February 17, 2021.[5] A beta for the game was held from April 2, 2021, to April 4, 2021, for PC and consoles.[10] Knockout City was released for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One (with enhanced backwards compatibility for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and Series S) on May 21, 2021, with cross platform play and shared progression between platforms.[11] Velan envisioned the game as a live service, and will be introducing new content regularly via seasons. Each season will last for nine weeks.[7]

In April 2021, it was announced that the game would be available to play at no cost to EA Play and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers.[12] It was later announced that the game would be free-to-play for the first ten days of release.[13] The game attracted 2 million players within its first week of release.[14] After the launch trial, EA announced that the game would be free-to-play until the player had reached level 25.[15] Following the launch of Season 6, the game will transition into a fully free-to-play title on June 1, 2022. Velan Studios will also replace EA to self-publish the game. Players who have already purchased the game will be compensated with in-game extras including customization items, XP boosts and additional Holobux.[16]

Reception

Knockout City received generally negative reviews upon release according to Metacritic.[17][18][19][20][21] Some reviewers have compared Knockout City with Rocket Arena, a 2020 game also published by Electronic Arts.[29][30]

Awards and accolades

Knockout City was nominated for Best Multiplayer Game at The Game Awards 2021.[31]

Notes

References

External links

• Official website

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