Knockout City released on May 21, and it did so with a free trial. While the game costs $20 to purchase, the free trial gave newcomers an entire week to play for free. Nothing was off limits, either, as everything from Knockout City’s battle pass to character customization and ranked play was made available, ensuring that trial users got the full experience. This was clearly a wise idea, and it has resulted in over 5 million different players logging into Knockout City.
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Developer Velan Studios mentioned the accomplishment via a special blog post on the official EA website. Specifically citing the Block Party launch event as the reason for the success, Velan Studios confirmed that “5 million new brawlers” have given the game a try. The developer proceeded to thank its fans an supporters for giving the game such a successful launch, and it shares some other stats as well. According to Velan Studios, “half a billion” KOs have occurred since the game went live. A few hundred thousand Crews were formed as well.
Clearly, the game is performing well, explaining why Knockout City’s free trial is changing. While the Block Party may be over, Velan Studios states that this is a game that “you really need to play” to get the appeal. As such, the free trial will stay around, allowing gamers to access the game until level 25. From there, they will need to purchase the full version, though this lengthy trial should give everyone the chance to see if Knockout City is for them. Cosmetics, rank, and contract progress will carry over to the full version as well if gamers decide to pick it up.
Overall, Velan Studios seems to be a terrific job of building an audience for the game, and it will be interesting to see if it can keep that audience. With many already comparing Knockout City to Fall Guys, it will be interesting to see if it has the same longevity as the bean-based battle royale. Keeping the massive audience of 5 million players will be no small feat, and it will depend largely on how well the game is supporter in Season 2 and beyond. With new maps, modes, and cosmetics all viable ways to keep fans invested, keeping them coming at a steady rate will be essential.
While Knockout City’s future is uncertain, what is clear is just how well the game has done in its first few weeks. Given how many seem to be enjoying the game, hopefully Knockout City’s mechanics prove deep enough to keep fans coming back.
Knockout City is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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Source: EA
