Upon the growing number of EA Originals that come from the independent developer game-publishing program, Electronic Arts has found some heavy hitters. In 2021, this ultimately illustrated as such when Hazelight Studios’ It Takes Two was nominated for The Game Awards’ Game of the Year and left with the award.
However, other projects faced a different fate as well. For Velan Studios’ Knockout City, the game originally shipped as an EA Original. But after four season, the game broke off from the program. In February 2022, the game transitioned to free-to-play as Velam Studios went independent from the publisher then.
In a new announcement recently, Velan Studios shared Knockout City is to meet a proper end later this summer. “We are announcing that Season 9 will be Knockout City’s final season. Then, on the morning of June 6, 2023, over two years after our initial launch, all servers around the world will be shut down and the game will no longer be playable. This was an extremely difficult decision for us, but a necessary and important one for our studio. Before that happens, there are a ton of new updates in store.
Game director Jeremy Russo adds, “We’ve got a jam-packed Season 9 full of all the amazing new content you’ve come to expect, an epic send-off both in and out of the game, and even a private server version on PC so Knockout City can live on forever. Read on for a full explanation of why we’re making this decision, what it means for you, how it affects the game, and everything you can look forward to over the next few months.
“Velan Studios’ mission is grounded in innovation. For Knockout City, we set out to make something fresh and fun, starting with just those initial ideas of third-person dodgeball, throw-catch rallies, and balling up to become the weapon. Through relentless iteration and experimentation, we got to the experience you know and love today, seamlessly blending half a dozen different game genres from shooters to sports games, fighters, brawlers, platformers, and physics simulations. It’s a game that defies any traditional definition, which is what makes it both so amazing and challenging to work on.”
What are your thoughts on the closure for Knockout City?
Knockout City is currently out for for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
Source: Velan Studios
