Season 1: Welcome to Knockout City!

Hey all you brand new Brawlers out there, welcome to Knockout City! We’re glad you’ve joined us, here in the Hideout, where we’ve been throwing around a few dodgeballs while we waited for launch. But now that day is here, and we can’t waste a moment in getting you up to speed so you can enjoy every moment of this ten-day Block Party and the free trial that comes with it! I’m Lynn Richter, Community Manager for Knockout City. Come with me and let me give you a tour!

Hideout Hangs

Here in the Hideout, you’ll find everything you need to start out, whether you’re itching to become a pro brawler, or you’re more interested in helping your Crew cross off every Crew Contract on your list. But we’ll get into that more in a moment. Take some time to perfect your catching skills with the T.A.R.G.E.T. Dummy, meet up with friends, or visit the Radio Bot and complete the training to learn the skills that will take you to the next level. That last one is key—everyone wants to skip right to the brawling, but putting in the extra effort will earn you more than just a cool 500 Holobux that you can cash in for custom gear, it’ll teach you the not-so-obvious skills you’ll need to get an advantage over your opponent the moment you step on the field. So, really: jump into the trainings. You’ll be glad you did.

Choose Your Weapon

There are six ball types you need to know like the back of your brawlin’ gloves: Basic Balls, Cage Balls, Bomb Balls, Moon Balls, Sniper Balls, and Multi Balls. You’re going to want to try each one out in the Hideout and get used to the unique characteristics of each, so you’re ready when danger heads your way. Balls will appear at spawn points throughout Knockout City, but if you’re ever left empty handed, you can Ball Up and get a teammate to throw you for a very impressive instant KO. You can get more detail about the unique features of each ball type here.

Pass To Me!

Now, before you get all excited and start throwing balls at everything that moves, I’m going to let you in on a little secret: Teamwork is key in this world. Having reliable Crew Mates that communicate well, call out locations, and pass the ball is an absolute game changer. We’ll get into Crews in a bit, but for now, know that passing is an often overlooked move by our baby brawlers on the field—even the great Merc himself recognizes how important it is. I’ve seen more than a few KOs happen because an unarmed opponent ball snuck up looking completely innocent, then landed that rubber to their opponent’s face when their teammate passed them the ball. It’s pass. No, not throw. Not dodge. Pass.

Get Familiar With Your Surroundings

Now, you’re about to go a lot of places, kid! You’ll visit Rooftop Rumble, where you’ll encounter a rickety bridge that connects the two skyscrapers you’re brawlin’ on. High speed winds can help glide you across, but don’t look down. In Concussion Yard, look out for the wrecking ball that can send you flying back toward the same opponent you just tried to outrun. The cars in Knockout Roundabout do not have time for your nonsense, thank-you-very-much, but you can catch a ride to get where you’re going and land that KO. Ride the tubes in Back Alley Brawl and pop out the other side armed and ready to slam that ball down square on your opponent. Finally, when you’ve worked up an appetite, make a stop at the cosmic themed Galaxy Burger, where the entire map orbits around the kitchen. There’s one more map, Jukebox Junction, but I’ll let you check it out for yourself. Now, the maps here will help you call out your location to your teammates, so study up and use them wisely.

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Listen Up!

Our Audio Director, Matt Pirog, wrote all about how the sounds in Knockout City are designed to assist you in becoming a better player, and it was a game changer for me, so I’m here to tell you to sit up and follow along. Close your eyes, listen, and feel that ball sailing toward your face. Pay attention to more than the warning bar around the screen, use the sound to guide you, and you’ll notice you’ll instantly become a better brawler.

Playlists

Around here, things change pretty quickly, and Playlists are no exception. Queue up playlists to bring your brawler into different types of matches, but don’t get too comfortable! Once Season 1 starts on May 25th, these will change weekly, and each playlist requires a different strategy. Face-Off is a totally different way of brawling than Team KO, and you’ll need to hone your skills across all playlists for true dodgeball domination.

Seasons

Just four days after launch, on May 25, we’ll kick off Season 1. This debut Season’s theme is “Welcome to Knockout City,” and it sets the stage for you and your Crew to explore Jukebox Junction, check off Season 1 Crew Contracts, work together on Weekly Crew Contracts, brawl in eight brand new Playlists, and climb the ranks of League Play. Oh, and all that content is free during Block Party. You’re welcome. It was my idea*.

Crew Up!

By now it should be clear that Knockout City is not just about landing those KOs, it’s about the friends you make and Crew Up with along the way. Plus, you need good teammates you can count on to pass the ball, right? With a worthy Crew, you’ll celebrate every win, analyze every defeat and strategize together to overcome what bested you. You and your Crew will work together to complete weekly Crew Contracts and Season Crew Contracts, which will put you on the fast-track to earning those XP boosts that will push your Street Rank level even higher, and help you unlock even more rewards. 

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It’s clear that you're going to need more than just casual teammates, you need brawlers you can count on. That’s why we made sure Knockout City was available on every platform, with cross-play, so you can join up with friends and dominate together regardless of your platform of choice. We’ve also made it easy to personalize your Crew with a custom Crew Name, Crew Logo, Crew Vehicle and Crew Banner. When you step on the field sporting that banner, you know the other players are going to think twice before trying any funny business. There are other benefits of being in a Crew, but I’ll let our Game Director, Jeremy take the lead on that one in the Crews Blog.

League Play

When you’ve been brawlin for a while, it’s natural to start looking for a few more challenges. If you’re ready to kick your game up a notch, check out what Merc’s outlined for you in the League Play blog. You’ll start your journey in Unranked and climb all the way to Platinum, where you’ll unlock exclusive cosmetics and buckets of rewards that will show the other brawlers who’s boss. If you’re driven by that desire to really reach the top, you’ll want to keep going in the elite Divisions of Sapphire, Emerald, Ruby, and Diamond, where you’ll unlock Chrome versions of the cosmetics you previously unlocked in the lower tiers, and you’ll earn the knowledge of your true rank that will show you exactly where you stand.

Block Party

Now, I know you’re excited, but in between matches, be sure to hydrate, take breaks and give yourself a chance to check out all the cool events we have planned for this ten-day Block Party, including Dodge the Devs, Community Crew Ups, Creator Customizations and more! Be sure to join us in the Discord to chat about your best matches and share your favorite moments.

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Brawlers Unite!

Wait, get back here. I’m not done—this is the best part! Don’t wait until the Block Party is over to purchase Knockout City! The smart brawlers who purchase during Block Party will receive bonus content that will stack with any rewards you’ve unlocked playing during the free trial period. If you’re a Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or EA Play subscriber, it’s simple: you’ll get the full game at launch, with all the custom cosmetics that come with purchasing during Block Party. The Standard Edition is $19.99, and when you purchase during Block Party, you’ll get all these exclusive customizations:

• Epic Outfit: Cyber Spike
• Epic Hairstyle: Locked Horns
• Epic Glasses: LED the Way
• Epic Glider: Mach 1
• Epic Intro Pose: Calling In Reinforcements
• Epic KO Effect: By the Horns
• THREE Player Icons: Bomb Ball, Pixel-Dillo, and Noodles Gone Bad
• 500 Holobux!

The best part? These rewards stack with the Deluxe Edition too, so go ahead, treat yourself! The Deluxe Edition is $29.99 and comes with a hovertruck full of gear:

• Epic Outfit: High Fidelity
• Epic Crew Vehicle: Convertible - Black and Gold
• 3 Epic Crew Logos: Ninja Strike, Record Scratched, Crazy Eye
• 3 Epic Crew Banners: High-End, Kintsugi, Strata
• 1,000 Holobux

It's worth pointing out that if you pick up the Deluxe Edition during Block Party and complete all the Training Sessions and Block Party Contracts, you'll have a cool 2500 Holobux in your account to spend on whatever your heart desires, plus all the Deluxe and Block Party cosmetics coming along for the ride.

Knockout City is OUT NOW, so what are you waiting for? Come party with us, join our Discord, follow us on Twitter, and enjoy the a free, ten-day Block Party event with cross-play and cross-progression across PlayStation®4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Origin, Steam, Epic Games Store, and PlayStation®5 and Xbox Series X|S through backwards compatibility.

*It was not my idea.