Knockout City is a fast-paced third-person dodgeball-themed romp at its core but past the flashy acrobatics and action-heavy mechanics, it's very much a team game. There are a couple of modes that reward a lone-wolf style of play (specifically 1-vs-1) but solid team play is the key to winning most matches. You don't want to find yourself in constant 1-vs-3 situations and there are actually some mechanics in Knockout City that reward team-based tactics.
Because of this, you'll want to know about passing the ball. It may seem like a silly thing to pass your teammate a ball when they can simply pick up their own but developers found a way to give incentive to players that toss the rock to their allies. Here's all you need to know to get you better acquainted with how passing works and why you should do it as often as possible in team-based matches.
How To Pass The Ball
- Aim towards a teammate and press L1 (PlayStation), LB (Xbox), L (Switch), or click the Scroll Wheel on the mouse (PC).
- It's also possible to do a charge pass by holding down the appropriate button and letting go once it's charged up.
- Charge speed determines how fast the ball is passed to your opponent.
Passing the ball is as simple as aiming your crosshairs towards your teammate and tossing the ball towards them by clicking the corresponding pass button. It's important to note that pass has its own button that is different from the "throw button." Simply throwing the ball towards your teammate will allow them to pick the ball up but it will not "track towards them" or "lock-on." You can also charge up a pass, just as you would a throw, with greater charge causing the ball to move at a faster speed.
You can also effectively "pass to yourself" by passing a ball to a teammate that is already holding a ball. Doing so will cause the ball to reflect back towards you automatically.
Why Pass The Ball?
There are many reasons for passing the ball in Knockout City, ranging from tactics, to fake-outs, to positioning, and even charging. Knockout City is very much a game that rewards aggression, especially in team modes, and it's much easier to overwhelm an opponent if each of your teammates is carrying a ball. With balls spread all around the map, sometimes it's easier (and faster) to lob one to a teammate rather than risk them being hunted on their way to find "ammo."
You're also rewarded for passing, thanks to the charge mechanic. Passing a ball to a teammate or receiving a pass will help charge the ball (at a much faster rate than manually charging a throw). This allows communicating teams to pass before throwing for a near-instant charge shot. You can also give yourself charge by tossing a ball to your teammate that is already holding one. The passed ball with reflect back towards you and give you an instantly charged shot.
It's even possible to ask for a pass from your teammates by hitting the "pass button" without having a ball in hand.
Here are some other reasons you might want to utilize a pass in a match:
- To arm your teammates with ammo that is closer to you, especially in a fight.
- To gain instant charge from reflecting in order to quickly down an opponent.
- Tossing to a teammate that has a better line of sight around obstacles can help guarantee a knockout.
- Passing to teammates that have the high ground on opponents can make it easier to target weakened enemies.
- Passing can also fake out an opponent, especially if you use the fake throw mechanic before doing so.