Amid a bevy of reveals at the latest Nintendo Direct, you may have missed Knockout City, the next EA Originals game. Knockout City is a PvP dodgeball-inspired third-person "shooter" where players team up with other customizable characters and take to the rooftops and playgrounds to duke it out in high-stakes dodgeball. The team says Knockout City's mix of skill, depth and style transform the game into something more appropriately called "dodgeBRAWL."
The game comes from Velan Studios, the team which most recently made the Switch mixed-reality game Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit. Knockout City is the team's first traditional game, and it's coming to most platforms including Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, and PC, including new-gen consoles where applicable as well. Crossplay and cross-progression will also be in the game at launch.
Knockout City will launch on May 21 and includes a free trial of the game for all players. The full game will be playable during this trial period, and players who elect to buy the game thereafter can do so for $19.99. The game at launch will include five maps, a hub area where players can meet up and practice, six ball types, each with special abilities, as well as ranked and "street" playlists with full character customization.
The free trial offering seems to come as a response to EA's previous multiplayer-only Originals-branded game, Rocket Arena, which launched last year to generally positive reviews but struggled to find an audience in a crowded field of hero shooters. It wasn't long before Rocket Arena entered into the EA Play vault in record time, taking just a few weeks while most games take half a year or more.
“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.”
EA also made it clear that whether players elect to buy the game during the free trial period or some time after it's expired, all progression will carry over, so it'll be like you never left. Knockout City launches on May 21.
