Brie Larson, BrookeAB and Sykkuno Headline the Opening Weekend for the Game’s Free Block Party

Come One, Come All, to the Festival of Dodgebrawl, Featuring 9 Days of Free Access Across All Platforms, Gameplay Streams, Celeb Team Match-Ups, Developer Challenges and More

Today, Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:EA) and Velan Studios released Knockout City, a thrilling team-based multiplayer game that delivers dodgeball-inspired action like never before. This ain’t dodgeball, it’s dodgebrawl. Players can hop into Knockout City for free now through May 30 and participate in the 9-day Block Party, a festival-style series headlined by celebrity and gaming personalities including Academy Award-Winning actress Brie Larson, BrookeAB and Sykkuno who are teaming up to play against fans for dodgebrawl glory.

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Electronic Arts 2021 (Graphic: Business Wire)

With the intense thrill of competition, and the humor and absurdity found only in dodgeball, Knockout City challenges dodgebrawlers to a fast-paced gameplay experience packed with its own unique style. Knockout City players will discover interactive environments as they brawl their way through five action-packed multiplayer maps and six distinct ball types. Players can also “ball-up” and become their own weapon to be thrown by teammates in fast-paced matches. With cross-play and cross-progression, up to 32 friends can team up across platforms to form Crews, and even switch between platforms with progress intact, to take down rival Crews and be crowned the best. Characters and Crews are highly customizable, letting stylish players show off their unique looks with hundreds of cosmetic items and progression levels including outfits, hairstyles, gliders, taunts, KO effects and more.

“Knockout City is unlike anything players have experienced from a team-based multiplayer game; the action-packed gameplay provides dodgebrawlers the opportunity to show off their moves and work with their Crew to master shots in their own style,” said Karthik Bala, CEO of Velan Studios. “The team has been working incredibly hard to deliver an exciting, challenging spin on the game, and we can’t wait to see how players will master their dodgebrawl techniques. The 9-day free trial is an awesome way for players and their friends to get their hands dirty on their platform of choice and start honing those skills, while also watching some big names take down the competition.”

To celebrate the game's launch, the Block Party runs May 21 @ 5am PT / 8am ET / 12pm UTC through May 30 @ 5am PT / 8am ET / 12pm UTC and includes a series of events including gameplay streams, team match-ups, developer challenges and more.

• May 21: Block Party goes live at 5am PT / 8am ET / 12pm UTC
• May 22: Community Crew Up gets under way as streamers invite their communities to help them reach in-game goals to unlock prizes for their audience. Watch Brie Larson, BrookeAB and Sykkuno form a team to play 3v3 live on Brie’s YouTube channel!
• May 23: Start rocking custom Crew Logos, Crew Banners, and Player Icons from a few different content creators
• May 24: Join the Knockout City Discord to play rounds of Knockout City with the dev team, chat about the game and hang out
• May 25: Season 1 Kickoff: Welcome to Knockout City drops with a new map called Jukebox Junction, a weekly rollout of eight new Playlists, League Play, Season Contracts, Weekly Crew Contracts and more
• May 26: Round 1 of Dodge the Devs, where players can take a whack at knocking out devs in-game for special prizes
• May 27: Round 2 of Dodge the Devs!
• May 28: Community Tournament Day 1, where 64 teams in North America and 64 in Europe will compete for a chance to be crowned victor.
• May 29: Community Tournament Day 2, where the top 8 teams in both regions from Day 1 continue to compete for a $10k North American and $5k European prize pool
• May 30: Block Party ends at 5am PT / 8am ET / 12pm UTC

Players who decide to purchase Knockout City for $19.99 during the Block Party will gain access to rewards they can show off immediately including an epic outfit, hairstyle, glasses, glider, intro pose, KO effect, player icons and 500 Holobux*. EA Play members will have unlimited access to the full game from May 21 onwards and not only will they receive all the aforementioned rewards, they will also receive an exclusive member-only reward, the Epic Ready Up outfit. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and Xbox Game Pass for PC members will also have access to the full game and exclusive member content through their access to EA Play**. If an even bigger bundle is more their style, fans who purchase the Deluxe Edition during the event will receive the base game, all aforementioned Block Party rewards, all Deluxe cosmetics and an additional 1000 Holobux for $29.99.

Players should stay tuned as the fun won’t stop at launch -- Knockout City will feature tons of new content each season, available at no additional charge. Knockout City Season 1 kicks off on May 25 just four days after launch, challenging players to unlock rewards in complex Crew Contracts and work together to raise a Crew’s Street Rank to earn higher-rarity cosmetics, all while brawling along to new playlists, including Ball Up Brawl starting Week 1. Players can also keep the fun going on a fresh new map in Jukebox Junction and the introduction of League Play, which will unlock once players level up enough in Contracts and Street Play. Additional post-launch content includes new maps, modes, balls, limited time events and more, continuously keeping players on their toes.

Featuring cross-play and cross progression support, Knockout City is the newest game under the EA Originals label and is now available for $19.99 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC via the EA desktop app beta and Origin, Steam, Epic Games Store, and PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S through backwards compatibility, in addition to EA Play and Xbox Games Pass Ultimate members. The Knockout City Deluxe Edition is available for $29.99 or as an upgrade for $9.99 to EA Play and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members This special edition allows brawlers to duke it out with exclusive Deluxe Edition rewards, including an outfit, a Crew vehicle, three Crew logos and three Crew banners. Plus, players will start out with 1,000 Holobux to spend in the Brawl Shop!

For more information and to stay up to date on Knockout City, visit the website or join the Knockout City Discord, like EA Originals on Facebook and Instagram, or follow Electronic Arts on Twitter.

PRESS ASSETS ARE AVAILABLE AT EAPressPortal.com

About Velan

Velan Studios, designers of the mixed reality racing game Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, was founded in 2016 by industry veterans Guha and Karthik Bala to create breakthrough games that are magic. The Velan team is comprised of world class game makers who have worked on several of the most innovative game franchises of the last 20 years. The studio is based in Troy, NY, the center of Upstate New York’s growing game development cluster. For more information about Velan, please visit https://www.velanstudios.com/.

About Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA) is a global leader in digital interactive entertainment. The Company develops and delivers games, content and online services for Internet-connected consoles, mobile devices, and personal computers.

In fiscal year 2020, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $5.5 billion. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, EA is recognized for a portfolio of critically acclaimed, high-quality brands such as EA SPORTS™ FIFA, Battlefield™, Apex Legends™, The Sims™, Madden NFL, Need for Speed™, Titanfall™ and Plants vs. Zombies™. More information about EA is available at www.ea.com/news.

Maxis, The Sims, EA SPORTS, Battlefield, Apex Legends, Need for Speed, Titanfall and Plants vs. Zombies are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. John Madden, NFL and FIFA are the property of their respective owners and used with permission. PlayStation is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

* Purchased Holobux can only be used on the platform where they were purchased. Earned Holobux can be used on any platform you access with the same EA Account. Any Knockout City content you acquire with Holobux will be available on every device linked to the same account.

** CONDITIONS, LIMITATIONS AND EXCLUSIONS APPLY. SEE https://tos.ea.com/legalapp/eaplay/US/en/PC/ FOR DETAILS.

Category: Company News

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210521005363/en/