2021’s been an odd year already, but a futuristic dodgeball multiplayer game made by EA being so enjoyable and well-received takes the cake. Knockout City just released on the 21st, and it’s a game where players go three-on-three (typically) in a variety of stages, trying to knock each other out with dodgeballs. Luckily, it's a decently priced game, constantly seems to be offering different trials, and is free on EA Play and Xbox Game Pass.

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The concept might sound simplistic, but this game actually has a fair bit of mechanical depth. So, to help all the new players getting beat down by the beta players, here are some pro tips from someone who already put 30+ hours into the game.

Updated June 21, 2021 by Jake Buchalter: Knockout City has been experiencing a lot of success, with many critics and players loving the fast-paced dodgeball action. With the ability to play for free until level 25, tons of players are flocking to the title to see what all the fuss is about. This is great news for the longevity of the title but Knockout City can be a bit intimidating for those that are just starting out. Joining matches against veterans who have been playing the game since launch can seem unfair and daunting. Because of this, the following list has been updated to give new players some tips and tricks to help even the playing field when just starting out.

15 Master The Tutorials Right Away

Knockout City: Selecting A Tutorial In The Menus

First and foremost, the best tip for new Knockout City players is to make sure they fully understand all the tutorials before they go into online matchmaking. These are the developers who made Mario Kart Live, after all, so the game is a bit more complex than it seems at first glance.

For one, each tutorial grants 100 Holo-Bucks upon completion. Two, these tutorials go over every single mechanic in the game and explain them pretty well. And three, making an effort to understand all the basic mechanics of the game will almost guarantee happier teammates in the long run.

14 Effectively Use Lobbed Throws & Curveballs

Knockout City: Curved Throw Mid-Animation

A tip Knockout City itself quickly emphasizes in its gameplay is that new players need to learn to utilize lobbed and curved throws right away. Curveballs allow players to hit their opponent around walls while lobs let them go over walls.

But, more importantly, both of these mechanics switch up where the opponent needs to look to catch the ball, as well as the timing for their catch. This might not sound like the most advanced Knockout City tip, but it so drastically affects every aspect of its gameplay.

13 Don't Sleep On The Passing Mechanic

Knockout City: Passing To A Teammate To Get The Ball Back With Overcharge

The passing mechanic in Knockout City is so vastly undervalued. One of the first things the game teaches new players is that every ball can become “overcharged.” To do this, players simply have to either catch an enemy ball thrown at them or pass a friendly ball to a teammate (or get one passed to them).

After catching a pass, the ball automatically gains overcharge level one. This makes a normal throw travel much faster, which usually takes opponents by surprise, speeds up the pace of matches overall, and adds another layer of depth to the mind games. Granted, truly utilizing the passing in this game works a lot better playing with friends, but with all the great games like Knockout City on Game Pass, it should be pretty easy to convince them to get it and join in on the fun.

12 Learn The Catch Timing & When To Counter It

Knockout City - Catching The Opponent Using Their Catch Too Early

the next Knockout City tip and/or trick is all about catching. This game works on a system of throwing dodgeballs at people, and either they catch it or they don’t. Pretty simple, right? Well, for players trying to get to Diamond or just trying to get good at the game in general, it turns out there's a bit more to it they need to learn.

Players can spam the catch animation in Knockout City, but there is a short window of time between each animation where they'll be entirely vulnerable. Essentially, if a player times their throw so that it hits right as the catch animation is ending, there's nothing the opponent can do. Of course, abusing this vulnerability window is rather easy up close, but it gets harder and harder the further the throw.

11 Time Throws To Match With The Team & Flank Opponents

Knockout City - Being Overwhelmed In The Front And Back

There’s already been a bunch of discussions about passing to teammates, sticking with the team, and not getting singled out. But, to add onto those concepts a bit more, players who learn to time their throws with their teammates will find they get a lot more wins in general.

Just like how there’s a brief span of time after a catch attempt where an enemy can’t catch again, it’s the same for a successful catch too. So if two balls are thrown at the opponent at about the same time, and they don’t dodge out of the way, it’s a guaranteed hit. And that's not all! For some reason, so many KC players only throw at enemies from the front, but there's a lot of value to keeping the enemy sandwiched between the team, since the catch mechanic only works in the direction the character is facing.

10 Hold Aim & Leave It To The Team

Knockout City - Holding Aim On Someone Far Away To Keep Them On Their Guard

As players get higher and higher in Knockout City’s League Play, they’ll start to come across opponents who just seem impossible to throw off. No delayed throw, fake out, curveball, lobbed throw, or even close-up throw seems to catch this person off guard.

In those instances, a good thing to try is just to back up, and hold aim at the person, especially if the rest of the team is nearby. Quite simply, as long as an enemy is being aimed at, they'll have that distracting red border, and it’ll be a lot harder for them to tell when another ball is coming from out of view. Remember, for the most part, this is a team-based game, so try and strategize with that in mind.

9 Try To Hit From Above

Knockout City - Trying To Hit Someone From Above

Here’s a little thing that the tutorials don’t tell players, balls can also come from above (and even below). Most lobs actually impact enemies at a diagonal angle, just low enough for the front-facing catch to work. But, if a player intentionally tries to modify their throw so that the ball hits right at the top of the enemy's head, it's a different story.

The most common example is when players hop over each other and lob toss a ball. Because of the auto lock-on, this throw tends to hit directly above the enemy 99% of the time, making for some easy KOs on inexperienced opponents. Players can also use the platforms to throw from above, their glider, or even use their teammates to throw them into the air so they can rain dodgeballs from the skies.

8 Mastering Border Reaction Understanding & Timing

Knockout City - The Border Showing That An Incoming Overcharge Ball

One of the most advanced tips for Knockout City actually takes the least amount of effort. This tip, of course, refers to changing the border thickness in the settings menu, making it easier to see when a player is locked on to or currently being chased by a ball. Now, for a simple as this UI is, it actually is masterfully designed.

This simple red border tells players when they're aimed at, a ball is en route to them, a pass is incoming, a ball is just about to hit them, or even if an overcharged ball is coming at them. And, getting used to these different border changes until they become second nature is almost mandatory in order to climb the ranks of Knockout City's League Play.

7 Dodging Breaks The Lock On & Homing

Remnant From The Ashes: Dodging An Attack A Bit Early

Another thing players will start to see more often the higher their rank gets is players who just spam dodge if they at all feel unsafe. The way Knockout City works, players don’t really need to aim all that much, since the game has lock-on/auto-aim.

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But, when a player dodges/dashes, that lock on is broken for a second, meaning that the ball thrown at them will usually only go so far as the actual location they first dodged away from.

6 Dodging Into The Ball Is (Usually) A Good ThingKnockout City: Screenshot From Gameplay Trailer That Highlights The Dodge Mechanic Not enough people seemed to retain the helpful tutorial info about the mechanics of dodging. Sure, players can use it to bash into each other and knock opponents off ledges or bash the ball out of their hands. But, it honestly serves a much better purpose as a way for players to get themselves out of being locked-on to or as a latch-ditch effort to deflect an incoming ball.In fact, players can even dash directly into a ball heading their way to deflect it! This makes closing the distance between them and the enemy much less scary, though it does require some fast reaction time.

5 Use The Spin & The Flip For Extra Height

Knockout City: Using The Flip Mechanic To Gain Extra Height

Yes, the spin and flip movement mechanics are primarily there for players to throw curved and lobbed shots, but they do more than just that. Both of them give the player a bit of height each time they're used, though the time between uses means players can't get any higher than their first spin.

Still, they're great for getting back on the stage or reaching higher points with less platforming. But, that’s not all! Because curved shots and lobs only come out if a ball is thrown while the spin or flip is happening, they also work as great feints too.

For example, if a player does the spin like they’re about to throw a curved shot, then throws right at the very end of the animation, the ball goes straight instead, which might just throw the enemy off enough to miss their catch.

4 Stick With The Team

Knockout City: Overwhelming An Opponent By Sticking Together

It might seem like a dodgeball arena game would be more of a free-for-all, but it’s actually a lot more team-focused than most players would probably expect. And, because there's crossplay, it's pretty easy to find matches as well.

Now, the way the catching mechanic works can often leave a solo player overwhelmed if even two enemies are attacking them at the same time. Frankly, sticking around when the rest of the team is down is the telltale sign of an inexperienced player, and is not a habit that tends to pop up often in the higher ranks of Knockout City's competitive mode.

3 Learn All The Different Feint Mechanics

Knockout City: Using the Fake-Out Throw To Trick An Enemy Into Their Grab Animation

The fake throw mechanic is the one a lot of new players will find themselves falling prey to in matches for quite a while after they start. It's easy to do, but hard to pull off effectively. Once the enemy knows to just watch the ball instead, it becomes a lot less useful.

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But, if a player were to mix in feints, charge cancels, spins, flips, and even passes into their repertoire, it would make them much harder to read. Basically, the fake throw isn’t the only feint in the game, not by a long shot, so try and use them all and it should help players get ready for the upcoming first season of competitive play.

2 Tackle Enemies When They’re Fighting Allies

Knockout City: Screenshot From Gameplay Trailer Putting A Focus On The Tackle Mechanic

Very quickly after starting Knockout City’s online modes, players will find themselves up against opponents who seem to be able to catch every single ball thrown their way. Quite honestly the catching window in this game is a bit too forgiving, so experienced players can easily catch most throws with just a bit of muscle memory. This is, once again, where teamwork comes in.

If a player finds themselves up against a team like this, they should try and make it their mission to interrupt any battles between their teammates and the enemies. Basically, if it looks like a teammate is having trouble hitting an enemy, try dashing into the opponent right when the teammate throws their ball. The recovery animation from getting tackled interrupts any other animations, and when timed perfectly literally eliminates the ability to catch or dodge an incoming throw.

1 Get Up Close & Personal

Knockout City: Screenshot From Gameplay Trailer Of KO'ing An Enemy Close-Up

And lastly, try getting up in the enemy team's face a bit. Knockout City works on lock-on aiming mechanics, meaning there’s no need (most of the time) to even aim a throw. Once the enemy has the lock symbol around them, the ball will head that way until either the enemy moves out of the homing path or some terrain stops it.

To counter this, getting as close as possible to the enemy before throwing actually works pretty well. Because there’s so little distance, the opponent has to react purely on a couple of frames of animation or just by sound. What’s more, if the player uses a lob or curve up close, it changes the timing slightly, making the ball even harder to catch.

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