Dodgeball brawler Knockout City will be on Game Pass at launch

EA's arena ball-hucker Knockout City will be available on Xbox Game Pass and EA Play at launch, the publisher announced in a blog post this week.

Arriving on Origin, Steam, and the Epic Games Store on May 21st, the 3v3 dodgeball arena will also be available via Xbox Game Pass for PC, by way of that service's integration with EA Play. Combined with the cross-platform support already shown in the game's recent beta, it looks like EA wants to ensure there's a strong playerbase at launch.

That's important, because while Knockout City's unique spin on team shooters (auto-aim balls that can be dodged, caught, and thrown back meshed with Overwatch-style hero abilities) could be neat, it's easy to see this kind of experiment fall on its face. Indeed, EA has already seen one similar project flounder. Is anyone still playing Rocket Arena these days?

Knockout City is already facing an uphill battle, too. The game's reveal trailer was more memorable for its Wreck-It Ralph-style framing, and there's a sense that the game hasn't really found a style beyond looking a bit Fortnite-ish.

Still, by putting it on Game Pass and EA Play, Knockout City might tempt enough players over to sell its particularly gymnastic brand of arena shooting. We'll find out when Knockout City launches at the end of next month.

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20 years ago, Nat played Jet Set Radio Future for the first time, and she's not stopped thinking about games since. Joining PC Gamer in 2020, she comes from three years of freelance reporting at Rock Paper Shotgun, Waypoint, VG247 and more. Embedded in the European indie scene and a part-time game developer herself, Nat is always looking for a new curiosity to scream about—whether it's the next best indie darling, or simply someone modding a Scotmid into Black Mesa. She also unofficially appears in Apex Legends under the pseudonym Horizon.