Knockout City: High Society Heist!
Rainfall at night – an unwelcome impediment to my commute home after a double-shift at the Galaxy Burger. Exhausted, I stumbled into my apartment, shaking and twisting to shed the heavy, glistening droplets from my coat.
The rain doubled down on my already stormy mood after a thankless day of food delivery, and all I wanted was a calm, predictable evening with a cup of tea and my favorite pirate radio program to keep me company. What I found next in my kitchen was anything but predictable: a steel-plated dodgeball-sized box covered in chemical warning labels, and a neatly folded note reading “The Red Hand Crew has returned to Knockout City. We must beat them to the target. You know your instructions.”
Like a sepia-tinted slideshow, my checkered past flashed through my consciousness. If they’re back, then the target must have resurfaced. No time to be nostalgic – the master plan was lurching into motion like a long-dormant rusted PAL-Bot resuming operation, and I needed to oil the joints.
The rain reverberated around the empty apartment; I was long gone. I gripped the Poison Ball I had pulled from the biohazard box and gritted my teeth. The High Society Heist was on.
Season 8 of Knockout City is almost here! The world of High Society Heist is full of intrigue, drama, thrills, and chills. There’s faces new and old to meet, a new Special Ball tailor-made aspiring thieves, a clever Playlist of cat-and-mouse antics, a vault’s worth of new cosmetics, and an all-new Brawl Pass with a riveting heart-stealing story. Assemble your team, gather the intel, and get ready to make your move. It’s a captivating new world of glitz, glamor, and GGs waiting for you in Knockout City!
Watch the Reveal Trailer here!
Here Comes The Red Hand Crew!
If you want to rise above the common criminals and inscribe your name among the legends of larceny, then you’re going to need a Crew… and there’s no criminally-minded Crew more feared (or more flush with success) than the notorious Red Hand Crew. Every player has a role in the game of high-stakes heists, and the Red Hand Crew’s mastered their parts to perfection. They know their roles, they’re zeroing in on their newest target: their mutual “employer,” the multi-millionaire Malcolm Magpie. Learn from the best, and you’ll rise above the rest to become the craftiest criminal this side of Concussion Yard.
Voxanne – The Voice
“My audience demanded an encore, and I always give them what they want.”
The vivacious Voxanne Valentine is the cunning leader of the Red Hand Crew. Living a double life as an accomplished nightclub singer and socialite, she’s cutting the rug one moment and swiping cut diamonds the next. Sultry and smooth-talking, Vox’s voice is the perfect misdirect to throw off suspicions while her crewmates spring into action. She’s beauty, she’s grace, and she will KO you then leave without a trace!
Mugshot – Mechanized Muscle
“I was programmed to do what the boss tells me to do, and right now, you’re sounding an awful lot like the boss to me.”
Good-natured but dense as iron, the towering Mugshot is a decommissioned Magpie Security-Bot who’s turned to a life of crime, fighting in underground brawls rigged for money laundering purposes. Voxanne recruited him to be the Red Hand Crew’s muscle. For jobs that need a not-so-gentle touch, he’s your bot!
Hax – Tech Ninja
“Time is money and I’m a little short on change, so get to the point. I’ve got algorithms to assemble and viruses to validate.”
A brilliant programmer, Hax claims to have unlimited backdoor access to virtually any system on the Holonet. She prides herself on being discreet, installing malware, deploying viruses, and creating algorithms to steal from the wealthy and pad her own pockets. Her skills have earned her a place at Voxanne’s side as the Red Hand Crew’s resident tech expert.
The Shadow – Gaze Into The Void
“A shadow falls on Knockout City…”
An imposing figure who strikes from the darkness, The Shadow is, in Voxanne’s own words, “the best of the best.” This covert specialist is so discreet at what they do, sometimes you don’t even know they’ve accepted the job until it’s done. No one knows who they are or what personal vendetta they’ve got against Magpie, but The Shadow is the secret weapon of the Red Hand Crew, and not a brawler to be trifled with.
The Red Hand Crew’s exploits are extensively covered in the all-new Deep Space Dispatches, earned by leveling up your Brawl Pass throughout the season. If you’re lookin’ to try your hand at becoming a Red Hand Crew member yourself, then you’re in luck! You’ll find loot like Player Icons, Crew Logos, and Gliders each bearing the telltale red “R” insignia. As for the originals, The Shadow is available in the Out Of The Shadows Bundle on day one of High Society Heist, and you’ll find Voxanne and Mugshot’s gear featured in the Brawl Pass! And longtime brawlers may own many of the classic cosmetics needed to make their own twist on Hax’s tech-chic look.
High Society Heist Brawl Pass!
Sprung from the vaults of Magpie Industries and held for ransom by the Red Hand Crew, the new High Society Heist Brawl Pass is a major haul! Earn a safe’s worth of goods as you level up your Free Brawl Pass through Contracts and XP and bring your heists to new heights. If you wanna rub elbows with Knockout City’s fanciest, then you’re gonna need some serious swagger; pick up the Premium Brawl Pass and earn all the must-wear threads fit for a gala. Check out all the highlights in the trailer below!
With rampant theft and property damage on the rise, there’s only one woman Knockout City can count on to take charge in the chaos and do everything in her power to bring back some semblance of order. You and I both know her name, brawler. And now she’s ditching the office desk and reporting for detective duty in the case of the Red Hand Crew…
Police Commissioner Chase – Authority Figure
“They say justice is blind but my electronic eyes never blink. You can hide in the shadows but I can see in the dark. You can run but I’ll never give up the chase. And I always get my man.”
Commissioner Chase – a.k.a. "Ol' Ironsights" – is a natural leader. When aliens attacked, she initiated and presided over the Knockout City Defense Force. In the trial of Mutants v. Magpie, she represented the will of KO City’s courts. She comes off as cold and uncaring, but ultimately she's just looking out for the city she cares about, in her own, tough-as-nails way. Her personal history with Voxanne is coming to the forefront during her investigation of the Red Hand Crew’s return, and Chase’s emotions – and her loyalties – will be tested to their limits.
The Thrill of the Chase Bundle lands in the Brawl Shop on December 13th, and with it you’ll be able to don the iron eyes of Commissioner Chase in your dodgebrawl battles. Crack the case and lead your team to “case closed” with Chase as your partner!
Oh, but did you think the Red Hand Crew was the only villainous outfit in this city? Think again, ‘cuz some mutants from miles away are making some malicious machinations of their own…
TMNT Villains!
Having finally tracked the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to Knockout City, they decided it’s time to take down the Turtles once and for all… The dastardly duo of Bebop and Rocksteady are here to dodgebrawl!
These heinous henchmen of Shredder’s are top fighters in the Foot Clan, and the right hand mutants to every evil scheme hatched by ol’ Chrome Dome. The TMNT Villains Bundle will outfit you with everything you need to be an A-list villain of your own! In addition to full-character Outfits of the bumbling bruisers, you’ll also pick up some rockin’ Player Icons, a slew of Brags (more on those later!), and two incredibly intimidating Intro Poses that’ll make ‘em shake in their shells!
Bebop: Who Ordered the Beatdown?
Rocksteady: Unleash the Beast!
Crush the Ninja Turtles as awesome archrivals Bebop and Rocksteady with the new TMNT Villains Bundle, available through the digital storefront on your platform of choice for $19.99.
Oh, what’s that you say? A new TMNT Villains Event is coming this season featuring an incredibly wicked never-before-seen Playlist? Dude, that’s radder than free pizza! Guess we’ll have to wait and see what the Foot’s next move is to find out more…
New Special Ball – Poison Ball!
The best thieves have the right tool for every situation. And the right tool answers the right questions. If the question is “how do we flush the crowd out of this museum showcase room and snag the treasure on display in the confusion?” then the Poison Ball is the Red Hand Crew’s most reliable answer. Give it a throw, and I think you’ll agree: it’s a gas!
Filled with noxious Knockout Gas, the Poison Ball is the newest Special Ball in the stash for use in Street Play, League Play, and Private Matches. When thrown, hitting a brawler or hard surface will discharge a dangerous green cloud capable of KOing a crowd in seconds!
The Poison Ball can be thrown again and again, and it’ll toot out a spherical cloud on every impact. The clouds will clear after a short time, but until then, it’s risky business! Not even opening a window will save you from the stink…standing in a Knockout Gas cloud will sap your hearts faster than you can say “Voxanne Valentine!” At full health, you'll be able to brave the haze around a discarded Poison Ball, retrieving the weapon without too much to fear… but don’t stick around, or you’ll be taking an unscheduled nap. Much like with the Danger Zone found in Elimination-type Playlists, any partial-heart damage will slowly – and I mean very slowly – recover back to a full heart when out of the Poison Ball’s harmful effects.
Want to give it a little more gas? Then try charging up! A Fully Charged Poison Ball will cough up a larger hazard than an uncharged throw, and higher levels of Overcharge will squeeze out even larger clouds to let you set some crafty traps!
The threat of a Knockout Gas KO can’t be ignored, and the Poison Ball will flush your foes out of small spaces and hiding places, right into your sights to swipe a victory. For the devious brawler that’s thinking three steps ahead, the Poison Ball’s gonna be your number one.
Want a red-handed hands-on? Try the Poison Punchup Playlist to put this new Special Ball through its poisonous paces! You’ll battle it out under Team KO rules with random Special Ball loadouts every match – You’ll find Poison Ball, Party Poison Ball, Any Ball, and Party Any Ball, all offering a chance for Poison Ball to prove itself worthy of its spot in the Special Ball Crew. This poison-laced Playlist is going to be available in Street Play’s Daily rotation on November 29th and December 2nd, and Private Matches during Season 8. Play it before it dissipates in the wind!
New Playlist – Bank Ball!
For the Featured Playlist of High Society Heist’s launch event, we dreamed big. Real big. Burglary? Extortion? Tax Evasion? Small potatoes compared to what our masterminds have been scheming up. And now, we’ve got a foolproof plan for a five-finger discount on fun. Let me put it to you this way…How would you like to personally stick it to Magpie Industries and partake in the greatest heist Knockout City’s ever seen?
Bank Ball is the Featured Playlist kicking off High Society Heist, straight from the mischievous minds of brawlers chasing that sweet Red Hand Crew clout. This contest tasks two teams to steal a certain ball. A high-value target that’s sure to make a couple of heads turn with its gilded majesty…
The hefty Bank Ball is loaded with who-knows-what kind of valuables. Actually, it may be totally worthless. But hey, it looks shiny and valuable, and that's excuse enough for brawlers to skedaddle with the loot. Holding the Bank Ball grants a steady trickle of points for the controlling team. Your movement speed is slightly slowed by the burden, so before you get caught, Pass it along to a nearby teammate to make your getaway.
Each Bank Ball has a starting point value of 40 that decreases as points are “extracted” by the holder’s team. Hitting an opponent with the Bank Ball will deal damage, AND instantly grant a burst of points from the ball’s point total. When the Bank Ball’s point value hits 0, it disappears, and a new Bank Ball with 40 points reappears, ripe for the stealin’. If you’re in a pickle, it may be tempting to toss the Bank Ball into a nearby pit to take the heat off of you… but don’t do it, or you’ll get smacked with a score penalty!
The winners are the first to bag 100 points, or have the highest score (heist-est score?) when time runs out. If an objective-based dodgebrawl sounds enticing, then Bank Ball will have your team laughing all the way to the bank!
Launch Event: High Society Heist!
Put on your dancing shoes and get ready to swing! You’re cordially invited to the biggest high society shindig in Knockout City: our Season Launch event. RSVP ASAP, baby!
Headlining the gala is the debut of Bank Ball, available for two full weeks starting November 29th. As you make your rounds at the fancy festivities, get acquainted with 12 Heist Contracts to challenge yourself. These tempting targets will hand over a haul of XP with every completion. The party favors are sure to be crowd pleasers, too: Complete any 5 Heist Contracts for “Safe Travels”, an Epic Glider that’s sure to enrich your daring escapes with streams of Holobux. 10 Contracts completed will earn you the title of Master Thief – literally! You’ll unlock the Rare Brag “Master Thief” to lord over those lesser crooks as you swipe a dodgebrawl victory from under their noses.
So, uh, how about those Brags, you ask? OK, OK, I’ll spill the beans…
Brags!
You only get one shot at a first impression, so you’d better make it count. Between all your cool accomplishments, epic legends, and dodgebrawl exploits, what have you got to say for yourself? Quite a lot, actually, which is why brawlers are letting the world know what they’re about… with Brags!
Leave your calling card with a new type of equippable, found in the Customization Menu. You’ll see a spread of every Brag you own, and can pick multiples to “Favorite” at the push of a button.
Every time you intro or outro from a dodgebrawl battle, your Brag will jazz up your nameplate with a title and accompanying slick frame artwork, chosen at random from your pool of Favorites. Some Brags are fun titles to add more personality to your brawler’s mythos. Others are calls to action, such as requests to join your crew, or even to say, “Please oh please, pass a dodgeball for once!” Some Brags are specifically shown during match Intros (“Intro Brags”) or on the Victory/Loss scene (“Outro Brags”), while others may show up for both.
Some Brags will even dish juicy intel on your dodgebrawl statistics! There’s Brags you’ll find throughout High Society Heist that share your lifetime stats publicly, and some that highlight your performance at the end of a match. When you finished that match with 15 KOs, that’s a gloat worth giving out, so tell ‘em who they’re dealing with! Here’s what you’ll find in several stat-tracking Brags:
- Career Stats: Intel on your all-time performance in Knockout City (Example: Basic Ball Hits)
- Stats that start counting from the moment you unlock the Brag (Example: Current Win Streak)
- Stats that only count what happened during the specified Season (Example: Season 8 KOs)
- Stats that only count what happened in the match you just completed (Match Passes)
Brags can be found everywhere in High Society Heist – they’ll turn up in Event Rewards, the Brawl Shop, Bundles, Brawl Pass prizes, and many other places. Favorite all your best boasts and show ‘em you’ve got the most!
Jukebox Upgrades!
If you love some toe-tapping tunes, then give this a listen: your Jukebox Tracks have been added to the Customization Menu! Now, you can browse every music track you’ve purchased and “Favorite” your top tracks to hand-pick your own Hideout music selection.
Favorite a few tracks, then give the ol’ Jukebox a tackle – you’ll hear your picks played out for the whole Hideout to hear! Every brawler will have access to the full original launch soundtrack, and you’ll be able to expand that song list with tracks purchased from the Brawl Shop. And speaking of songs, have you heard the newest electro-swing thing?
New Band: The Cover-Ups
The Cover-Ups are doing the crime in 4/4 time! This deep-cover cover band is putting out some sensational numbers to swing along with all throughout Season 8. From the Brawl Shop, you’ll be able to add their criminally-good certified bops to your Hideout Jukebox as they drop throughout the season.
In addition to their three top hits heard in dodgebrawl battles, you’ll find a few other tantalizing treats in the Bonus Tracks: Voxanne Valentine on the vocals for her Brawl Pass exclusive, “Catch Me If You Can,” and there’s also the anti-Magpie diss track, “Pay To Win.” I tell ya, you music fans are eating rich tonight!
New Energy Drink: Heist Tea
And when you’re done eating the rich, wash that highfalutin flavor out of your mouth with a tasty new Energy Drink! Heist Tea is a refreshing break from the flavor-blasted fruit drinks of previous seasons, and packs a potent effect: picking up a ball within three seconds of hitting an opponent will earn you +25 bonus XP! Here’s the plan: drop from high up, land a hit, then use that same dodgeball to land another hit. BAM, 25 XP for the taking! With Heist Tea, fast hands will walk away with lots of XP lining their pockets.
Oh, and here’s a little somethin’ for the Energy Drink enthusiasts: You’ll now get instant feedback on your XP gains from your active Energy Drink mid-match! Pull off your drink’s perk, and watch the on-screen numbers pop up during gameplay to show your progress.
Hideout Features!
With stormy weather and noir lighting setting the stage, the Hideout is getting a heist-themed overhaul for Season 8. There’s lots of new features to cover, whether you’re brawling undercover or on the up-and-up! Grab an umbrella and watch for the puddles as I walk you through The Hideout’s newest features…
First things first, you might be wondering, “Where are the Special Balls? Who nicked our stash?!” Don’t worry, brawler, they’re safer and more secure than ever before. You’ll see several Dodgeball Dispensers peppered around The Hideout – approach one, and you’ll be prompted to press a button to scroll through the ball selection. Hold the button to deploy the Special Ball of your choice, minted on the spot and ready to throw! Not only does this get all those special balls out of the gutter, it allows you and your friends to spawn multiples of the same Special Ball to practice with!
When you’re trying to steal a priceless artifact, laser fences are usually the last thing you want to see… but on the rooftop soccer pitch, it’s a different story! Brawlers have diverted some residual energy from the building into a short hard-light wall around the rooftop’s edges, which will lead to fewer Hideout Balls slipping away from the scene.
Speaking of, there’s a new Hideout Ball for you to try! Pick up this puck-shaped Hideout Ball from the Brawl Shop or as part of the new S8 Fundle Bundle, and it’s air hockey for all in your Hideout!
There’s been burger cookouts on the Hideout’s main rooftop for months, and finally, someone remembered to bring the Energy Drinks! Sneak over to the drink cooler to jump straight to your Energy Drink inventory and guzzle down a thirst-quenching, XP-boosting beverage before your next brawl. More satisfying than slipping a wallet out of an unsuspecting pocket! When you’re ready to make your move, walk over to your Crew Vehicle and at the push of a button, you’ll instantly jump to the Play menu to find your next target.
Expanded Bot Support!
Bot-controlled brawlers are pick-pocketing up some new skills, and they’re now available in even more types of Playlists, including Team Elimination, Face-Off, KO Royale, and more! When creating a Private Match, check the Advanced Options, and you’ll see the Bots toggle is available for a much larger selection of match types.
You’ll also see more Playlists with backup Bots to fill in for missing players until matchmaking fills their spot, so brawl without worry, ‘cuz the Bots have got your back! Just don’t expect a Bot bailout in League Play – you’ll only be seeing them in Street Play or Private Matches.
Contract Auto-Complete!
Uh-oh, things aren’t looking good! You’ve got the Contract Reward in your sights, but time is tight, and the reward is about to slip through your grasp. Fortunately, you’ve got a new backup option: Contract Auto-Complete! If a specific Contract is giving you fits, then call up the Contract Menu while you’re in The Hideout to spend a few Holobux to make that troublesome Contract “disappear,” automatically completing the contract and granting you all the rewards and progress. Yes, I wiggled my eyebrows when I said that, but don’t worry, we won’t hurt the poor Contract – we’ll just teach it a lesson, take its reward, and bring you the benefits.
You’ll be able to employ this service on Daily Contracts, Event Contracts, and Weekly Brawl Pass Contracts for 150 Holobux. Even sticky Weekly Crew Contracts can be sorted out for 300 Holobux, helping your Crew stay on track for the ultimate Chrome reward for Crew Contracts completed. And you won’t even have to get your hands dirty!
Taunt Changes and Settings!
A well-timed Taunt is the perfect tactic to dazzle, demoralize, or commiserate with your allies and opponents. To up the impact of Taunts and cut down on spam, we’ve updated the Taunt cooldown system that’ll keep ‘em effective without blowing anyone’s cover. The Taunt cooldown between uses is now visible on screen, making each Taunt land and stand on its own. Using repeated Taunts in quick succession will prompt the on-screen countdown, letting you know when you can recommence roasting the opposition.
And for those who’ve had it up to here with all the shouting, there’s a more drastic measure to gain some sweet silence. You’ll find a new button prompt on your Pause Menu, during respawns, and between rounds that’ll mute Taunts for the remainder of the match, and it does what it says on the label. For extreme circumstances, you can even choose to globally turn off all Taunts in the Settings menu.
When Taunts are muted, you won’t hear a peep out of your opponents, and you’ll also be unable to send any Taunts in return or earn any Taunt-related Contracts. If you have a change of heart, enabling Taunts can easily be toggled from the aforementioned button prompt, the Settings Menu, or directly from the Customization Menu when selecting a Taunt to equip. Don’t let the ribbing steal your fun – silence your foes, or hit them with a precision Taunt to take their breath away!
League Play Rewards!
A vault full of new League Play Rewards awaits those who prove themselves as the bosses of the dodgebrawl battlefield. Rise in the ranks, and you’ll be handsomely rewarded based on your best ranking between either Playlist. I’ve locked these away from the prying eyes and sticky fingers of the Red Hand Crew, so don’t blab… this preview is for your eyes only!
Purloin a Platinum Rank, and these treasures are yours for the taking:
- Legendary Player Icon “S8 Platinum League”
- Legendary Brag “S8 Platinum Pickpocket”
- Uncommon Ultimate Hologram “Crowning Glory”
- Rare Glider “Fries With That?”
- Epic KO Effect “Salt In The Wound”
- Legendary Taunt “Big Spender”
Event Roadmap!
Relax, the master plan’s all laid out here! Feast your eyes on this schematic of the entire Event lineup for High Society Heist. After our Launch Event, expect a chilling conclusion to the year with Snowbrawl Fight: Rematch, starting December 20th. Next year, resolve to beat more baddies when Foot Clan Clash brings in some backup for Bebop and Rocksteady in January. Test your couple’s chemistry in the Chemical V-Day event coming in February, and close out the heist with no loose ends when Midnight Madness returns. Expect some surprises like Double XP Weekend to break cover throughout the Season, and check for the latest intel here at knockoutcity.com!
All That and Noir, Coming November 29th!
The secret’s out, brawler! Sneak a peek at High Society Heist tonight on Knockout City’s official High Society Heist reveal stream on Twitch, and revel in the riches of everything Season 8 has to offer. Beat the Red Hand Crew at their own game, when all the hijinks of High Society Heist hits on November 29th. The getaway car’s here, and we’ve got our sights on the next big score…ready to hop in?