Knockout City is one of the most unique multiplayer games of 2021. Not only does it use dodgeballs as its main weapon — foregoing guns altogether — but it also uses a simple lock-on targeting system that takes the twitch reflexes out of the equation. Instead, you’re tasked with fooling your opponent with fake throws, curve shots, and lobbed balls to smack them into oblivion.
It’s a surprisingly tricky system to master, and there are a lot of moving pieces you’ll need to put together. If you’re having a difficult time with Knockout City, here are a few beginner tips to get you started.
Further reading
Work as a team
With only a few other players on your team, it’s imperative that you cooperate with them and try to set up a strategy. Unlike some other multiplayer games, it’s nearly impossible to win a round of Knockout City as a lone wolf.
Whether you decide to travel as a pack, try to ambush your opponents, or simply call out to each other when in need of help, if you have some sort of strategy, you’re probably doing better than most players.
Pass dodgeballs as often as you can
Not only is passing a great way to quickly get a dodgeball to a player in dire need of one, but it also turbocharges the ball — making it fly through the air faster than it normally would. You can also pass a ball to your teammate then ask them to pass it back, giving you the turbocharged ball with just a few seconds of effort.
Turbocharging your dodgeballs makes passing a critical skill and one that you should take advantage of even if you don’t want to share.
Turn yourself into a dodgeball
There are a lot of strange things going on in the world of Knockout City, but nothing is more bizarre than the ability to turn yourself into a dodgeball. While in ball form, roll toward your teammates and let them pick you up. Hitting an opponent while in ball form is an instant knockout, making you the most powerful ball on the field.
Players can also charge up a throw while holding a player in ball form. Once fully charged, the ball-form player will be sent skyrocketing into the air before crashing down and dealing damage to anyone in the area. This powerful skill is perfect for catching enemies by surprise or taking out an opposing team that’s tightly grouped.
Learn how to catch
If you want to stand any chance of winning a one-on-one shootout, you’ll need to understand how to catch incoming throws. Catching a ball is simple — just press the associated button or key for your platform — but perfecting the technique is much more difficult.
Once you do manage to get a handle on the mechanic, landing a “Perfect Catch” will fully charge up your next shot, giving you a quick way to easily dispatch the thrower.
Master your throwing technique
Throwing a dodgeball in a straight line will only get you so far. Eventually, you’ll be facing opponents that can easily catch and dodge those types of attacks. Instead, you’ll want to change up your throws by mixing in a few Lob Throws, Curve Throws, and Fake Throws. Peppering these into your attack sequence will confuse your opponents and give you an opening for a deadly strike.
Knock out some Contracts
One of the best ways to quickly learn the intricacies of Knockout City is to focus on Contracts. These in-game achievements not only give you something tangible to works toward — namely massive XP gains — but they also revolve around many of the game’s fundamental skills. If you’re struggling to find things to do in Knockout City, always fall back to your available Contracts.
Learn about Special Balls
Special Balls add a unique twist to every match. From the Moon Ball and Sniper Ball to the Multi Ball and Bomb Ball, learning how to best use these powerful weapons is the key to your success. It’ll take a few rounds to fully understand how each works, but here’s a quick overview of what they bring to the table:
- Moon Ball: This allows the holder to jump higher than before and knocks back enemies on contact.
- Sniper Ball: Once charged, the Sniper Ball can travel incredible distances to hit faraway foes.
- Multi Ball: Works like a normal ball, although it grants you three successive throws.
- Bomb Ball: A timer will start counting down after its been picked up, exploding when it gets to zero or hits a target. Note: The Bomb Ball can injure your teammates!
- Cage Ball: Successfully hit your opponent, and they’ll be turned into a ball for a set amount of time. Pick them up and use them as a normal weapon — or throw them off the map for an instant KO.
Don’t forget to dodge
Through all the chaos of catching, throwing, and gliding around the map, it’s easy to forget you still have the option to dodge income attacks. You can also dodge directly toward incoming balls to deflect them away, although this takes expert timing and isn’t easy to pull off.
Not only is dodging a great way to avoid attacks, but you can also use it to knock balls out of your opponent’s hands. Or — if you’re feeling really devious — you can try to dodge into enemies and knock them off the map.
Memorize each map
Discovering the intricacies of each map is important in all multiplayer games, but it’s a necessity in Knockout City. Each level has its own quirk — some have wind currents that push you through the air, others a giant swinging wrecking ball — and figuring out how to use these to your advantage is a key aspect of the game.
You’ll also want to familiarize yourself with dodgeball spawn locations, as each map has a few designated areas where you can expect a ball to appear. Knowing where these locations are can truly turn the tide of battle, as a player who knows how to find a loose dodgeball can always be on the attack.
Customize your character
It might not help your gameplay, but there’s no doubt that customizing your character is a huge part of Knockout City. With dozens of unlockable costumes — many of which can be further modified with Style Chips — you can spend just as much time dressing up your character as you do in combat. Not only is it a fun way to pass the time, but it’s a great way to show off how much you’ve unlocked and intimidate the enemy team before a match even begins.
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