Image credit: Velan Studios What makes Knockout City different?ĭespite being separated by an ocean and a continent, Zoutriv and Stahly have quite a bit in common. There may be no better spokespersons than the players on the front lines of organizing efforts - simultaneously the most enthusiastic about the game and some of its toughest competitors. "Quite simply, because our long-term objective would be to establish a league for the game."īoth groups are moving ahead with the blessing of Velan Studios, which did not respond in time to requests for comment for this story, but indicated in previous interviews that it is looking into the Knockout City's potential as an esport. "Some will ask, 'Why League Hub,'" Zoutriv said. The site isn't finished, but its Discord channel is already only a few members shy of 2,500, and the scope of the project is ambitious, to say the least. Read more: 7 fighting games that should make an esports comebackĪnother player, Maxence "Zoutriv" Cool - a French gamer who helped The Last Resort Esports to a third-place finish in the EU region - is working with a partner on a Knockout City-specific website, League Hub, which will facilitate everything from tournaments and scrims to recruiting teammates. "They love the game and want to do their part in trying to help it flourish," Stahly said. Stahly is fronting $1,000 from his past winnings, which he says matches equal contributions from Los Angeles Dodgers pitchers David Price and Joe Kelly, for a $3,000 tournament beginning July 11. The NA region competitive Discord community has eclipsed 1,600 members, and some individual players are going to great lengths to help grow the game. Who doesn't like dodgeball?" Groundswell of support for Knockout City "Anyone can pick it up at any time and feel like they're a good player, which is crazy. "I'm just really hoping it pops, because it just fits for everyone, I feel like," Stahly said.
#Knockout city free trial#
As of a few weeks ago, over 5 million people had already logged on - by now, that figure is probably closer to 10 million.īut although the trial no doubt inflated the overall totals, there's also ample evidence to support the existence of a burgeoning competitive scene.
#Knockout city free free#
And EA has since extended the trial for the dodgeball-theme PVP "shooter" by Velan Studios, making the game free until players reach Level 25. It no doubt helped that the tournament launched within Knockout City's initial 10-day free trial window. Then, within five minutes, the whole Discord was spamming, 'Why is it only 64? My team couldn't even get in. "Once sign-ups went live, within two minutes, it filled up.
"At first, it was a 64-team tournament," recalled Brandon "Stahly" Brenenstahl, whose team the TP Orgless Orphans took the $6,000 first prize for the NA region. In terms of the volume of players, the event was nearly four times the size of what was originally planned. One week after the title's May 21 release, EA held what remains the biggest Knockout City tournament to date, with two 256-team brackets and a $10,000 prize pool for North America and $5,000 for Europe. “As we move into Year 2 and the feedback we have received from the community, it is driving us to create deeper, more compelling stories,” said narrative director Eric Feuerstein.Electronic Arts has been aggressive in its promotion of Knockout City, yet even one of the largest video game publishers in the world wasn't prepared for the overwhelming response from esports enthusiasts. “We believe that there are many and many people who have not yet experienced how much fun the sport is.”ĭeveloper Velan Studios has said that they have learned a lot since the game’s release and will be implementing it in the free-to-play format. “We want to go free-to-play for a major reason,” said David Nathanielz, executive producer at One Year Anniversary Dev Diaries. It will likely jump when Knockout City goes free-to-play. This will include five style chips, a six pack of Season 6 energy drinks, a gold-plated outfit, a gold-plated Woohoo Warp, a gold-plated Chunky Legendary player icon, an XP boost, and 2,000 Holobucks.ĭespite being less accessible due to its price, Knockout City has been able to reach the major milestone of five million players worldwide. June 1, Those who purchased the game prior to the transition would receive a loyalty royalty bundle. Can you play Knockout City for free?įortunately, when Knockout City begins its second year content will be free-to-play on all systems.
Knockout City has long been a paid game under publisher EA, but as ownership is being transferred to developer Velan Studios, will the game be free-to-play? Here are all the details we know so far.
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