How To Dominate In Knockout City: Tips And Tricks for Beginners

Knockout City is the hottest new game on the block. The brand-new multiplayer title from Velan Studios and EA amassed over two million players in just three days.

Available to play on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, Knockout City is a welcome escape from the mainstream shooters currently dominating the gaming market. In Knockout City, players eliminate opponents with dodgeballs, not guns.

Despite the silly concept and cartoony graphics, Knockout City has deep layers of strategy and depth. Enter the dodgeball arena underprepared, and you will be punished. 

After spending a week with Knockout City, we’ve learned the ins and outs of this dodgeball extravaganza and what it takes to claim victory in the city of KOs. Follow the tips and tricks below, and we promise you’ll have the edge in your next dodgeball encounter.

Passing Wins Games

Passing is one of the most underutilised features of Knockout City. Normally when you grab a ball, there’s a short charge-up period before you can throw it at full strength. But if you pass the ball to a teammate first, the ball will instantly gain a full charge. The ability to feed your teammates fully charged balls on demand is extremely powerful.

Not only is passing great for charging up dodgeballs, but it allows you and your squad to create sneaky angles. Have one player flank the enemy team and then quickly pass them over a ball. The flanker can then line up an easy shot on the backside of the opponents.
 
Unselfishness wins games. Looking at the match stats after a game, you'll notice that the team that passed more almost always wins. Pass the ball and give your teammates the glory.

Balling Up Does Double Damage

No dodgeballs in sight? That’s no problem in Knockout City. Players can roll themselves up into a ball and become their teammates' own personal human dodgeball.

Human balls deal double the damage, insta-killing any opponents they hit. Not only that, a fully charged human dodgeball turns the rolled-up player into a mini-nuke. Your teammates can toss you high into the sky and watch you rain down a massive explosion on unaware opponents.

Rolling up is also great for the stat sheet stuffers out there. Any knockouts your teammates get using you as a ball will also count toward your stats. This means that you can rack up knockouts without actually throwing any balls yourself. Be a team player and reap the rewards.

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Practice Your Catch Timing In The Hangout

Everyone wants to be an offensive powerhouse, but playing defence is just as important a factor in success. If you can’t dodge or catch the opponent’s throws, you’ll find yourself knocked out cold more often than not.

Catching an enemy's throw requires perfect timing. Fortunately, players can practice to their heart’s content in The Hangout. The Hangout is basically the hub world for Knockout City. This is where players can invite friends and customise their Brawler. Additionally, players can run around and practise their throwing and dodging.

The Hangout has a practice dummy that players can utilise. The dummy will catch everything you throw at it and return it to the sender. Stand in the appropriate spot and wait for a throw from the dummy. Catch it, and toss it right back. The dummy will play catch with you for as long as you’re a willing participant.

This is a great way to practice your timing. Each time you catch and throw the ball back to the dummy, it’ll send it back even faster. Practice your catch timing in The Hangout, and you’ll be a hard Brawler to knock out.

Be Unpredictable

Knockout City is a mental game. Outplaying your opponents through quick thinking and calculated actions is the core of dodgebrawl.

Knockout City has all kinds of throwing mechanics players can take advantage of. There are multiple types of throws — normal, lobs, and curves. Each type can be used to shake an opponent and mess with their catching rhythm. Additionally, players can get tricky and throw a slow changeup or fake a throw. As you can see, Knockout City is much more than a simple game of dodgeball.

The best players will use all of these different types of throws to outwit and outmatch the enemy team. Does the enemy keep catching all of your charged-up throws? Consider tossing an uncharged changeup to mess with their timing. Curveballs can wrap around walls and catch unsuspecting enemies off guard, and lobs can be launched high over terrain. Each type of throw has its ideal situational uses.

Try to be as unpredictable as possible. Don’t use the same throw twice in a row. If the enemy doesn’t know what’s coming, they’ll have a much more difficult time timing the catch and countering your throw.

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Tackle Opponents That Get Too Close

Pressing X on Xbox, square on PlayStation, Y on Nintendo Switch, or Ctrl on PC will instruct your Brawler to dash. Dashing is a great way to dodge balls or travel an extra bit of distance. However, dashing has another use. Players can dash into an opponent and tackle them like a linebacker.

Tackling an opponent with a dash will stun them and knock the ball out of their hands. This is perfect for when an opponent gets a little too close for comfort. Run at the enemy and tackle them before they can get a throw off.

Dashing has a couple of other unique uses as well. See an enemy Brawler standing near the edge of the map? Run up to them and tackle them off the side. You don’t always need a dodgeball to knock an opponent out!

Knockout City is much more than just a mindless game of dodgeball; there’s a surprising amount of depth here. In Knockout City, the best Brawlers will consistently come out on top through advanced tactics and teamwork. Use these tips and tricks to stay ahead of the competition and dominate the dodgeball arena.

Images via Electronic Arts