Knockout City

There are several types of balls in the game, including the Moon Ball, which allows the player holding the ball to jump higher, and the Bomb Ball, which is a time bomb that explodes on impact. When ready to throw a ball, the player targets and locks on to an enemy; holding down the throw button charges up the ball for a faster shot that can be more difficult to catch. A successful throw depends not on the accuracy or the precision of the throw, but on the player's positioning and strategy. The player can also fake throw a ball, and tackle an opponent holding a ball. As the player progresses in the game, they will receive HoloBucks, which can be spent at the Brawl Shop to unlock various customization items. At launch, the game features five maps and six modes. All of the maps are set in a futuristic metropolis named Knockout City, and each map also features various environmental hazards which can knock a player out. The modes announced include Team KO, which is a variant of team deathmatch, Diamond Dash, in which players must collect diamonds dropped by defeated enemies, and Ball-Up, a four-versus-four mode in which the player must throw their teammates to eliminate enemies. Velan Studios described the game as a "dodgebrawl" title, and its CEO, Karthik Bala, added that the team chose dodgeball to be the game's core gameplay loop because it was considered to be an "intuitive" sport. Velan Studios built an engine named Viper to power the game and created a programming script named V-script, which aimed at countering network latency. Publisher Electronic Arts announced in March 2019 that it had signed a publishing deal with Velan Studios. Each season will last for nine weeks. In April 2021, it was announced that the game would be available to play at no cost to EA Play and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers.