Knockout City: Private Hosted Server Edition

The sun may be setting on the live version of Knockout City, but brawlers never stop brawlin’! Today marks the official release of the Private Hosted Server Edition of Knockout City for Windows PCs, where you’ll be able to visit Knockout City again and again for dodgebrawl battles long after the public servers shut down on June 6th, 2023.

Download the Knockout City Private Hosted Server Edition HERE!

Features!

• It’s FREE forever! Download Knockout City as a standalone Windows PC application and connect with others to play with over private servers for absolutely free!
• Hang out in the Hideout! Your own rooftop paradise is perfect for warming up, playing catch with the Target Dummy, kicking around the soccer pitch, or polishing your parkour. All the Training activities are here as well, so go brush up on the basics!
• Playlists aplenty! Every standard Playlist is available in Private Match play, including many seasonal-exclusive modes preserved for play anytime. Bots can be enabled for any Playlist, so even solo players can get the brawl rolling!
• Customizations for days! Over 1,300 items are free, unlocked, and ready to use as soon as you enter the game! Bring back a favorite brawler, or build yourself a brand new look – almost every cosmetic from the live game is here, so sky’s the limit, baby!
• Functional Street Play! For large private servers, groups can search for dodgebrawl battles with matchmaking in Street Play for Team KO or Classic Face-Off.
• Server features! On the server-creation side, server owners can specify passwords for private servers and set the maximum number of players, among other things!

Download Links!

Find download links on the Private Hosted Server Edition landing page here! You’ll find three options:

• Hi-Res Version: The game software, with high-resolution textures for higher spec PCs.
• Low-Res Version: The game software, with low-resolution textures for lower spec PCs.
• Server Application: An executable file that creates a server for Knockout City on the Windows PC running it. 

Setup Instructions!

Playing the Game:

1. Download the game software

Choose the Hi-Res or Low-Res Version depending on your PC’s spec and settings.

2. Unzip the game software download folder

Right-click the downloaded folder in Windows Explorer, choose to “Extract all” and wait for the process to complete. No need to unzip any other folders within here.

3. Specify the server to connect to (optional)

By default, the game will look for a local server on your PC to connect to… but if you want to play on a separate hosted server, you’ll need the server backend address from whoever is running the server! 

The easiest way to add any custom settings is by creating a shortcut! First, right-click the “KnockoutCity.exe” file and choose “Create shortcut.” 

Next, right-click the new shortcut and choose “Properties”.

Under the “Shortcut” tab on this menu, go to the end of the textbox labeled “Target”, add a space, then type the server address using this command:

-backend=1.2.3.4:23600 (replace these numbers with the IP address and the server port of the server you're connecting to!)

4. Specify a username (optional)

Normally, your in-game username will default to your Windows PC’s account name. Using the same steps as above, you can also add a command to change your in-game username! 

Add this additional command to the “Target” text field for the shortcut:

-username=insertnamehere

5. Start the game!

If you followed steps 3 and/or 4, then launch the game using the shortcut you created. You can also move this shortcut to a more convenient location, like your desktop! Otherwise, just launch the game from KnockoutCity.exe: just make sure you're running KnockoutCityServer.exe as well if you want to play by yourself locally!

Hosting a Server:

1. Download the Server Application. 

Click and download the standalone file right from this website. If you download the game, the Server Application is also included in the game folders, so no need to download separately.

2. Unzip the Server Application folder.

Right-click the downloaded folder in Windows Explorer, choose to “Extract all” and wait for the process to complete. No need to unzip any other folders within here, either.

3. Specify the backend port (optional)

Create a shortcut for the “KnockoutCityServer.exe” file, view “Properties”, then navigate to the “Shortcut” tab to add commands to the “Target” text field after the file name. 

The server supports UPnP if you're playing with people outside of your home network, but you may need to set up port forwarding on your router, depending on which type of router you’re using. Please look up your specific router's manual online if you need help!

Use the following commands (default values listed below) to specify your TDP port and UDP port range. 

-backend_port=[23600]

-server_min_port=[23600]

 -server_max_port=[23699]

4. Specify a server password (optional)

Using the same steps as above, you can also add a password to secure your server from unwanted guests! Add this additional command to the “Target” text field for the shortcut:

-secret=[InsertPasswordHere]

Every player connecting to your server will need to use the same server password by adding this command to their KnockoutCity.exe files with the correct password. 

5. Run the Server Application!

If you followed steps 3 and/or 4, then launch the Server Application using the shortcut you created. Otherwise, just launch it from KnockoutCityServer.exe: While this is running, you or others will be able to connect and play Knockout City!

FAQ

I thought Knockout City was shutting down! Why is this a thing?

You’re right! The live version of Knockout City available on PC and consoles will be shut down on June 6th, 2023. More info on why that is can be found here.

With the Private Hosted Server Edition of the game, we want to turn the keys to Knockout City over to the community to keep enjoying the game they love forever, even after public servers and support go offline. Just like Pirate Radio, it’s for brawlers, by brawlers!

What systems can I play this version of the game on?

PC is the only supported platform for the Private Hosted Server Edition of Knockout City. A Windows PC is needed both to host the server and run the game. For a rundown of recommended system requirements, check out the Download page!

How do I play Knockout City?

We’ve got some great tip videos to help you learn the basics and up your game! Check them out!

Will there be any version updates that I need to download?

Although we only expect to release a single version of the game, you can always find the latest download links on the Private Hosted Server Edition page. For your safety, only download the Private Hosted Server Edition from Velan’s page instead of third parties.

Where can I find people to play with?

Anywhere in the world! A good place to start is at the official Knockout City Discord Server, which can be found here. Meet other brawlers and learn more about private servers hosted by other communities!

Can I use my PC to host a server?

You may host the server and run the game on a single PC if you want, or use separate PCs for the game and server application for better performance. The Knockout City server is sensitive to CPU performance, and will perform better (and support more players) on higher-spec machines or via paid hosting services through an external provider.

Is there any DRM?

This software is completely DRM-free. Read our full End User License Agreement for more information on software usage.

I’ve got a support-related question, can you help me?

This software is provided "as-is" and Velan Studios will not be providing player support for issues related to this version of the game. That's Knockout City, baby! If you’re stuck, you can always ask fellow brawlers for advice in the #community-support channel of the official Discord.

Are there any features missing from this version?

Most features from the original live game are carried over into the Private Hosted Server Edition, but some that may appear to be functional have actually been disabled. Several examples include:

• League Play - Because there is no active season of League Play, attempting to view the Playlists will show an error message.
• Voice Chat - Although players may choose to change between Group, Team, and Off on Voice Chat settings, this edition of Knockout City does not support in-game voice chat. Use external software such as Discord for voice communication.
• Player Reporting and Reporting Server Lag - Report options appear to be functional, but no report is sent or received when chosen.
• Code Redemption - Any attempts to redeem a code for a reward will fail… But since you have all unlockables in the game by default, that doesn’t matter!

Are all of my purchases and progress from the live game carried over into the Private Hosted Server version?

The Private Hosted Server version of Knockout City is not connected to the live game, so no progress or unlocks are carried over, even if you were a PC player before. However, almost all cosmetics are unlocked for your use in this version of the game, so go wild with creating any brawler design you can think of!

How much does the Private Hosted Server version cost?

The Private Hosted Server edition of Knockout City is free to download and use!

Is there going to be a Knockout City 2?

One of our goals in sunsetting the current iteration of Knockout City is to give our team an opportunity to explore new ways of play. We’ll be exploring concepts for potential continuations of Knockout City as well as other new and innovative experiences. We love Knockout City, and we’d love to bring it back, but we’re not making any promises here, because Velan Studios is all about innovation, and we want to explore all the possibilities in front of us!

If you love Knockout City’s world, then check out the Knockout City official soundtrack on music streaming services such as Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music and other streaming services! There’s also lots of lore to be found on the Knockout City Pirate Radio podcast, found wherever you get your podcasts!

When will you launch your next game?

Stay tuned to the Velan Studios Twitter for news on all the exciting projects we’re working on.