EA and Velan are giving dodgeball a new look with the reveal of Knockout City, a brand new multiplayer game launching this May.
To be entirely honest, I never felt the need for a dodgeball video game, but the reveal of Knockout City during the Nintendo Direct has change my mind. Despite its reveal during the Nintendo presentation, Knockout City will be a multi-platform title that will put you and a team of friends in the ultimate game of dodgeball.
Today, Electronic Arts Inc. and Velan Studios unveiled Knockout City, an action-packed team-based multiplayer game that brings skill, depth and style to the game of dodgeball, and transforms it into dodgeBRAWL! In Knockout City, intense battles are a way of life and players will need to master the art of throwing, catching, passing and dodging in a joyful, yet highly competitive experience that will smack them in the face with surprises. Knockout City, the newest game under the EA Originals label, will be available on May 21, 2021 on PlayStation®4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC via Origin™ and Steam, as well as PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S through backwards compatibility with graphical and performance enhancements. The game will also support cross-play and cross-progression across all systems.
“At Velan we obsess over finding new play experiences,” said Karthik Bala, Co-founder and CEO of Velan Studios. “Knockout City starts with the deceptively simple concept of throwing and catching a ball and layers in an incredible amount of skill, depth and style, for a refreshingly fun competitive multiplayer experience that you have to play to believe. It ain’t just dodgeball, it’s dodgeBRAWL. Since we first found that magic in the game, we haven’t been able to stop playing and we can’t wait to share that experience with some of you during this weekend’s first closed beta.”
Whether it’s 3v3, 4v4 or free-for-all quick matches in Street Play, competitively ranked games in League Play or a hosted experience in a Private Match, the fight to take down rival Crews takes many forms. In Knockout City, players start every match on a level playing field and need to rely on skill to dominate the competition. A solid Crew is also the difference between dishing out punishment and taking it. The game is easy to pick up and play, but practice is key to mastering positioning, timing and teamwork for dodgeBRAWL dominance.
And of course once players master the moves, they’ll want to be seen with their own unique look. Knockout City’s robust customization options – from appearance, gear, attitude, body type and hairstyle to a custom glider, KO effects and taunts – will have players brawling in style. It’s not just about the player but also their Crew, and with up to 32 friends across platforms, players can customize their Crew name, logo, banner and even pick a custom Crew vehicle to ride into battle.
“We’re honored to be working with Velan Studios on their first-ever EA Originals release,” said Steve Pointon, SVP 3rd Party Content & Development at Electronic Arts. “Composed of some of the greatest minds in the industry, the team’s work on Knockout City truly showcases their vast expertise and talent. We’re very excited for everyone to play it and feel what makes this game a high-energy and innovative experience.”
Knockout City hits consoles and PCs on May 21, 2021 with a BETA coming to PC players this weekend (20-21).
