Knockout City developer will soon start self-publishing the game, which is going free to play

The arena dodge ball game Knockout City will be free to play once Season 6 goes live later this spring. To celebrate, developer Velan Studios is knocking out Electronic Arts as the game’s publisher. Okay, not really. But the studio is set to soon begin self-publishing the game, which should happen not long after the launch of Season 6.

“From the day we founded our studio, we’ve worked to deliver revolutionary new game experiences to you, our amazing community of players,” Velan wrote in an update. “We couldn’t have introduced Knockout City to the world without the incredible support of EA Originals, but now as we switch to free-to-play, the natural next step is for us to take over publishing responsibilities and work even more closely with our community. We have exciting plans for Knockout City, and bringing publishing in-house will allow us to fully realize our vision for the long-term future of this game.”

Going free to play and moving toward self-publishing is all a part of Year 2 plans for Knockout City. Velan Studios has more on the horizon.

The hits keep on coming

The major changes won’t be ready for Season 5. The next Season, called Greatest Hits, is starting up quite soon. Since Velan is putting a lot of eggs in the Season 6 basket, the new Season will be slimmer in comparison to prior ones. However, it won’t leave fans without fresh content. More customizations, a new special event, and additional unlockables highlight what’s coming to the game soon. There won’t be a new Brawl Pass, though, and cosmetics are on the lighter side. The game won’t get a new map or ball, either. But, as mentioned, things will be different afterwards.

“However, this shift in content is only temporary,” the team explains, “and we’ll have a new Brawl Pass, more cosmetics, and plenty of new features coming in Season 6, with more new maps and balls coming in future seasons (sneak peek: There’ll be a new Special Ball coming in Season 6, but you’ll have to wait until we’re closer for details!).

“We’ll be sharing more about Season 5: Greatest Hits, the upcoming move to free-to-play and self-publishing, and the exciting future of Knockout City in the coming days, weeks, and months. We can’t wait to show you what we have in store.”