Knockout City has become one of the sleeper hits of the year. The game has hit five million players just two weeks after its launch. EA announced this milestone via a blog post only a few days after the game went free-to-play until level 25.

“Since launch, we’ve seen 5 million new brawlers join us in matches, there’s been amazing— and unexpected— gameplay, hundreds of thousands of Crews were formed, over half a billion KOs landed, millions of hours of gameplay were watched, and—dare we say it?—thousands of friendships were made along the way. Who knew you could bond over hitting one another in the face with a dodgeball?” said the post, after it thanked players for their help in achieving the milestone.

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Keeping the game free to play till level 25 was a smart move by EA. The game’s fresh approach to team based competitive gameplay drew in a huge number of players for the original Block Party event. The number far exceeded most expectations, including those of the developer. Ending the event as originally intended would have meant that you’d have to purchase the game if you wanted to continue, hence creating a hurdle for the player base.

This new approach not only allows new players to explore the game, but also allows EA to maintain and leverage the player base. With more time spent on the game, more people would be inclined to buy it.

The game is popular, beyond any doubt. It reached the 2 million player mark barely three days after launch. It looks like people may actually be interested in a team based multiplayer competitive game that’s not just about shooting. That being said, you do throw large balls at your opponents at ridiculous speeds; and when there’s no ball around, you can literally use your teammate as a ball.

You can check out Knockout City for free on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch. Don’t worry about reaching level 25 too quickly; it does take some time. You’ll also be able to unlock cosmetics, which will carry over should you choose to buy the game.

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