Knockout City players may be in for a treat as the developer has announced the addition of some Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles villains to the roster of playable characters. This comes after Season 7's successful introduction of Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo, which was released on August 30, 2022.
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles brand has seen a resurgence in the videogame community over the last few years. With two game releases during the past year in Shredder's Revenge as well as The Cowabunga Collection, plus some appearances in other franchises, the Heroes in a Half-shell are slowly returning to the limelight once again.
In a trailer released on YouTube, Knockout City announced the additions of series regulars Bebop and Rocksteady, who will be joined by an AI-controlled army of Foot Soldiers. The two characters will be available to use starting this Season 8 event entitled TMNT Villains. Also included in this new season is the Foot Clash Clan Playlist, which sees "two pairs of brawler race to make fools out of the Foot Clan." Similar to a horde mode, this will see teams rack up the most damage to continuing waves of Foot Soldiers until the time limit.
However, also included in this new season is the ability to dress up as a Foot Soldier. If players complete enough black belt contracts, they'll be able to earn a Foot Soldier outfit for usage in-game. All of these will be available once the official event starts on January 10, 2023. It's important to note that to be able to play as villains Bebop and Rocksteady, players will need to buy the TMNT Villains Bundle, similar to the Knockout City Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Bundle.
With the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mutant Mayhem movie coming out on August 4, 2023, it seems like a good idea to capitalize on the growing popularity of the franchise once again. All recent releases and materials relating to TMNT have been well-received, so riding on that name recognition may be the smart thing to do. The Turtles are admittedly a household name, so even without the string of previous appearances, they are still bankable and recognizable in their own right, fans of the series will likely flock to support their beloved characters.
Meanwhile, Knockout City's free-to-play model means the player base may continue to grow moving forward. Fans may remember that the game hit a milestone of one million players just one month after its initial release. The "dodge-brawl" inspired gameplay has attracted many gamers who often compare its success and charm to another successful free-to-play game, Rocket League, with its over-the-top mechanics yet simplistic gameplay.
Knockout City is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.