While Knockout City isn’t nearly popular enough to afford the large-scale seasonal changes titans like Fortnite implement, it’s no slouch when it comes to keeping things fresh month-to-month.
Players are sticking around, and for good reason. In the end, it’s all paid off casual matches can almost always be found in 20 seconds or less no matter the time of day. Combined with cross-play and cross-save across all platforms, this has done wonders for keeping new players consistently joining the community. Deals were struck with Prime Gaming over the summer and PS+ just this month, giving users of both platforms the opportunity to claim the ungated version of the game.
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Shortly after that, EA made the full game free up to level 25, similar to the trial model used by Final Fantasy XIV.ĭespite not gaining the traction of other major players in the live service space, Knockout City has had no shortage of promotion or access. When it did launch, it went directly into Xbox Game Pass day one, giving it an instant playerbase. It first debuted–with a rather confusing, strange trailer–in the February 2021 Nintendo Direct before appearing in a State of Play just two weeks later. Many great live games have fallen off either due to a lack of exposure, failure to capture a wide audience, developer abandonment, or all three (I’m looking at you, Bleeding Edge).įollowing the absolute bomb that was 2020’s Rocket Arena, EA learned from its mistakes and worked with everyone to get Knockout City in front of players’ eyes and into players’ hands. No matter how strong and deep the core gameplay is, it’s worthless if the playerbase is dead. The Night at the Movies theme for season two was incredibly imaginative | Image courtesy of Electronic Arts A Thriving Playerbase They’ve even recently rolled out bots for lower level players to get their feet wet before diving straight into the shark-infested waters of online matches. Be it a step-by-step tutorial that walks players through each mechanic or a hub that includes a designated area for automated catching practice, there’s never a lack of guidance. There’s plenty of room for players to grow, and Velan Studios has made the onboarding process as easy as possible. Timing a dash just right too avoid a punish from end lag, consistently performing perfect catches, and knowing the exact moment to throw a lob or curve ball make all the difference and clearly distinguish newcomers from experienced players. Anyone can dash around, catch incoming balls, and throw balls at enemies, but there’s a serious skill ceiling when it comes to perfecting all of these actions. The fundamentals of Knockout City strike the perfect balance between being easy to grasp but difficult to master. Though it may have been difficult for indie studio Velan to carve out their own niche among giants, the fruits of their labor is evident: not only is Knockout City alive and well six months after launch, but it’s arguably the best live service game of the year. Much like the other stand-out EA Original this year, however, Knockout City prospered by homing in on a unique idea and executing it expertly. Not only do juggernauts like Fortnite, Apex Legends, and Rocket League take up a huge amount of the market, but they’re actively trying to be the only games players engage with on a daily basis. Entering the live service space is a massive gamble.