Dodgeball is a classic reminder to many kids of their early years in school getting foam hurled at their heads if they were one of the lucky ones. In Knockout City, players would bounce rubber balls off their opponents in a team-based game that gives you the same feeling as the school game—which sent many heading over to try out the title.
Unfortunately, that early launch hype didn’t seem to last. It seems developer Velan Studios is ending support for the game, with servers going offline on Tuesday, June 6.
In a blog on the game’s website, the developer announced Season Nine will be the final season and the server will be taken offline soon after. Apparently, there will be private servers for PC so the game can continue to live on that platform. There will also be celebrations inside and outside the game to allow players to celebrate before content ceases.
Velan’s reasoning for ending support for Knockout City is very similar to the recent Back 4 Blood developer’s reasoning. As a smaller studio, Velan doesn’t feel they have the staff to make the changes Knockout City needs to attract a larger community Instead, they’re focused on new projects that will ideally make them more money.
The next step for Knockout City is the launch of Season Nine on Feb. 28, which will mark the last update for the game. At that point, real-money transactions will be removed, including Holobux, the Deluxe Bundle, and the TMNT bundles. The rewards for in-game currency have been increased, with all the cosmetics planned to make a return to the shop.
The game will be sunset just over two years after it was released on May 21, 2021. There will be plenty of events and celebrations in the next four months, so make sure to keep an eye on Knockout City‘s social media feeds.
