GAMES
Knockout City’s Seventh Season, Mutant Mutiny!, Arrives on August 30th
Oh good, you’re here, brawler. Welcome to Knockout City! So you’ve heard a little somethin’ about this team-based action game of dodgebrawlin’ and you want to get started? Well, you’re in the right place. I’m here to give you the lowdown on everything new coming in Season 7: Mutant Mutiny!
Now, let’s get down to business. Knockout City is a game of skill, where players crew up and duke it out in epic dodgebrawl battles throughout the city. But recently, something strange is afoot. Let’s check it out!
Turtle Power!
There’s a pizza party happening in the Hideout, and you’re invited! Grab a slice before these dudes gobble down the last one. Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Donatello are ready to take up arms alongside our mutant brethren as they fight for their rightful place in Knockout City. And they’re just in time.
With the launch of Season 7: Mutant Mutiny!, you’ll be able to become your favorite Turtle in any dodgebrawl match. Each character comes with their own totally tubular Intro Pose so you can head into each match in character.
You’ll find all four Turtles and their Legendary Intro Poses in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles bundle in the Brawl Shop! Score it for just $19.99.
Rise Up!
When the bonks and boinks of dodgeball battles die down, listen closely and you’ll hear muffled growls and strange bubbling rising from deep below the city. Our new mutant friends have arrived, and they aren’t going to sit quietly any longer. They’re ready to take on the opposition and claim their rightful place – right here, alongside us. If you’re going to brawl with these fearsome folks, you might want to know a little more about who they are and where they came from.
Neon
It’s hard to miss the leader of these rowdy revolutionaries, with his glowing skin and luminous personality. Neon isn’t just a flicker of hope, he’s the whole dang lighthouse for all those mutants on a mission. But don’t mistake his passion for youthful ignorance, he just might outsmart you.
Susan
You ever wish you could tell someone where to stuff that dodgeball? Well, chances are, Susan has. She’s a no-nonsense, trash talkin’… crocogator. If Neon can’t inspire sense into folks, Susan’s here to pummel it into ‘em.
Ratfink
You got somethin’ that needs doin’? If you’ve got the cheddar, Ratfink’s on the case. He’ll lend you a hand, but you ain’t gonna walk all over him – better respect the skills. He’s got the 411 on what it’s gonna take to win, and the gab to back it up.
Goober
Have you ever wanted to know what a Gelatinous Cube would sound like if you gave it sentience? Well, meet Goober. We’re not really sure how Goober came to be, and if you’re not a mutant, chances are you’re gonna have a pretty hard time understanding his gurbles and worbles. Still, with his can-do personality and disarming/unconventional charm, he’s a pretty great… goo… to have on your team.
Sludge Works
Whether you’re heading out onto the battlefield as an ambitious, glowing brawler, a half-shell hero, or a gooey crew mate, you’re gonna want to watch where you’re walkin’ because this brand-new map is going to keep you on your toes.
Has anyone notified the EPA about this… goopy substance that’s out here being dumped near the Boba Cola plant? While we wait for them to arrive, feel free to explore – it appears the sludge is safe to walk on. Until it isn’t, anyway. The pipe in the center of the map will dump sludge that will slowly alter the entire landscape of the level, filling open spaces, covering up or obscuring hazards, and blocking off pathways and creating new ones to your enemies.
Then, just as quickly as it appeared, an alarm will sound and the sludge will flush away in an instant! Careful where you’re standing at the time of evacuation, or you’ll find yourself thrown out with the trash, as you plunge deep into a pit.
Join the Mutant Mutiny! on August 30th!
Whether you’re brand new to the game or a seasoned brawler, you’ll want to check out everything Season 7 has to offer. But our green friends over there didn’t get to be a fearsome fighting team without practice. If you want to brawl with the best of ’em, you’ve got to get down to business. So listen up.
Grab a friend, or make one, because brawlin’ in Knockout City is all about teamwork. Just like our heroes in a half-shell here, you’re gonna have to work together to make sure you’re the best you can be. That means spending a little time in the Hideout practicing your throwing and catching before you run out there and get destroyed faster than these four chow down a slice of ‘za.
You’ll find the Training Bot in the Hideout, so stop by and run through the trainings – which will also score you some easy Holobux to spend in the Brawl Shop. Then, see if you can best the T.A.R.G.E.T. dummy a few times and nail your perfect catches. Finally, check out our advanced guides on YouTube, stay up to date with the blogs on KnockoutCity.com, join our official Discord community, and toss some Bits to your favorite Knockout City Creator Crew member on Twitch, and ask them for their favorite tips and tricks. You’re gonna need ‘em.
Lastly, tune in today, August 25th at 2:30pm PT / 5:30pm ET for our Dev Stream on Twitch.tv/KnockoutCity for gameplay and an exclusive chat with our Narrative Director, Eric!
Thanks for reading! Last one in the sludge grows an extra foot!
Knockout City™
Electronic Arts
Knockout City is now Free-to-Play, inviting brawlers everywhere to experience the frantic, non-stop action of dodgebrawl.
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S.
Knockout City™ leverages Xbox Smart Delivery allowing access to both the Xbox One title and Xbox Series X|S title. Support.xbox.com
KEY FEATURES:
• Frantic and Fun — Rule the city through lightning-fast multiplayer matches featuring mind-blowing dodgeball mechanics. Increase your attack by passing to power up dodgeballs, targeting your opponents with a variety of specialized balls, or “balling up” at any time to get thrown by teammates!
• Crew Up — Assemble an All-Star dodgeball Crew with your friends for multiplayer matches in a seamless cross-play experience! Together, knock out opponents in 3v3, 4v4, or free-for-all matches. Pass, throw, and strategize to dominate as a team and unlock distinctive, Crew-only rewards!
• Define Your Style — Show off your status and unique look through character and Crew designs with expansive character creation options. Customize your appearance, gear, and attitude, from body type and hairstyle to a custom glider and Crew vehicle to win, lose, and taunt animations.
• Take On Knockout City — Battle it out with other Crews across dynamic maps all over the city. Each map’s special features make every match an intense, unexpected experience. Dodgeball thrives in back alleys with pneumatic tubes, on skyscraper rooftops, across busy streets—and even at the local burger joint and construction sites. While you’re dodging dodgeballs, watch out for moving cars, rooftop drops, and even a wrecking ball or two.
• Strikingly Fresh Yet Familiar — It’s easy to pick up and play thanks to familiar controls, but practice is key to becoming a champion. On a level playing field, only the most skilled ballers stand out from the crowd. Use your knowledge to master the intricacies of the game for spectacular KOs.
Holobux you purchase from the Microsoft Store can’t be transferred to or used on other platforms.
Limited free trial capped at level 25. Trial is subject to change. Internet connection, EA account and acceptance of EA User Agreement (terms.ea.com) & Privacy and Cookie Policy (privacy.ea.com) required to play. Trial can be played once per EA account.
CONDITIONS AND RESTRICTIONS APPLY. SEE WWW.EA.COM/LEGAL FOR DETAILS.
© 2021 Velan Studio, Inc. EA and the EA logo are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. Trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Buy the Xbox Series X|S version and get the Xbox One version (Digital Standard or Deluxe Editions) for no additional cost.
GAMES
This Week’s Deals with Gold and Spotlight Sale
GAMES
The German Empire Marches to Italy in a Free Expansion Today
We have a new expansion for our WW1 Italian Front FPS game Isonzo releasing today! It’s the first part of our Caporetto season of free expansions, and features a whole new faction with the arrival of the German Empire on the Italian Front, and brings a new map for the Offensive game mode. There will be two more releases in the Caporetto season, each one with a new map to ultimately link together into a three map Caporetto Offensive.
The German faction comes with more than ten new weapons, as well as historically accurate uniforms and equipment. This first Caporetto map sees you taking part in the early stages of the Twelfth Battle of the Isonzo, with German troops assaulting Italian positions on the road to Caporetto. Historically it was a military disaster for Italy which brought down the government – but maybe things can go differently with you on the battlefield?
The update sees new uniforms and equipment from the German Empire for Isonzo’s six classes: Rifleman, Assault, Engineer, Officer, Marksman and Mountaineer. For those who aren’t familiar with the game, each class has different weapon, gear and perk options that allow you to specialize your play style within the overall focus of the class. For instance, Marksmen are always sharpshooters, but a lot depends on your loadout. You could be a long-range sniper and observer identifying and eliminating high value targets with a scoped rifle, or you could equip body armor to take and hold a front line position with deadly accurate mid-range fire. Every class has choices to make in this regard.
In Isonzo’s signature Offensive game mode, one side must attack and break through multiple defensive lines. Thick layers of barbed wire, trenches, and whatever extra defenses the enemy engineers put together will stand in the way of a successful attack. Objectives can be taking and holding key points, or planting dynamite to sabotage enemy supply stashes or heavy artillery guns.
The new Caporetto map – the first of three in the season – is a huge battlefield based on the strategically important Monte Kolovrat. There are five defensive lines, where each line has two objectives for the attackers before they can advance further. While in the historical Battle of Caporetto both German and Austro-Hungarian forces were involved, in Isonzo we’ve chosen to focus on the German contribution, so the map recreates the stunning German advance from the town of Tolmein all the way to Kolovrat Ridge. It’s a damp, overcast day when the attack begins, and the attackers must first cut their way through lines of wire to break into a devastated town – including capturing a church defended by multiple heavy machine gun positions. Fortunately, in Isonzo there are many tactical options available to deal with such strong points: artillery barrages, smokescreens, snipers, rifle grenades, even poison gas. From there, it becomes a literal uphill battle for the German attackers as they begin to climb towards the peak of Kolovrat Ridge. They’ll need to sabotage bunkers and capture command posts while navigating rocky trenches and steep forested slopes. At the penultimate fourth defensive line there is a huge siege mortar to sabotage and a cluster of houses providing cover to the Italian defenders – then it’s one last climb to reach the final objective: Hill 1114. If the Germans can take it, the Italians will finally be the ones fighting uphill as their reinforcements stream in to try and counterattack.
Of course, things are no walk in the park for the defenders either – although it’s easier to maneuver when going downhill, and it’s much simpler for officers to deploy flares to call in support, the extensive trench lines can become a liability once the Germans get a foothold, providing cover as they advance. Some of the Italian defensive positions can be exposed against the sky, making it easy for German marksmen to pick off targets. Italian engineers should make good use of their construction abilities to put down additional sandbags and lay out extra wire to prevent German assault troops sneaking through the trees to flank trenches with their grenades or light machine guns.
As we mentioned before, historically the Battle of Caporetto was a disaster for the Italians. Appalling leadership led to poorly motivated and unprepared troops falling apart in the face of the combined Austro-Hungarian and German armies using cutting edge infiltration tactics. The Italian soldiers were not allowed to retreat until too late, and in the end hundreds of thousands would surrender. After Caporetto the top Italian general was fired and replaced by someone far more competent, who managed to turn the war around for the Italians. In Isonzo, it’s a more fair fight where both sides have an equal chance of winning, if they can use all the tactical options available better than their opponents.
The release will also bring other improvements to the game, including a prestige mode and higher level cap. Additionally, for those who want more options for visual customization of their character, the Royal Units DLC is releasing alongside the free expansion and contains uniforms from the German Kingdoms of Bavaria and Württemberg. Though part of the German Empire, these states had their own distinctive uniforms which we’ve carefully recreated with the same accuracy and attention to detail as with the other uniforms in the game.
The Battle for Caporetto Begins…
Isonzo is available right now on the Microsoft Store for Xbox, and the free Caporetto expansion is out today! Plenty of time to master the art of mountain warfare before the German Empire joins the action on the Italian Front. Follow us to get the latest development news as we add the finishing touches!
We’ll see you in the trenches!
Isonzo
BlackMill Games
$29.99
World War One expands to the mountains of the Italian Front – beautiful but deadly in equal measure. Inspired by the two year struggle for control of the Isonzo river valley and the Alps during World War One, Isonzo elevates the WW1 Games Series, figuratively and literally.
From the makers of Verdun and Tannenberg…
Take part in historical offensives from the Sixth Battle of the Isonzo to the Strafexpedition. Reflecting the course of the actual battles, as the attackers advance the fighting will shift through vastly different landscapes within a single offensive: from hillside fortresses to mountain trenches and fierce urban combat on city streets. Everything is recreated based on research and field trips, from sound effects and uniforms down to the houses, vineyards and trenches you’ll be fighting over.
The new Offensive game mode puts you right in the middle of key historical offensives on the Italian Front. Lead the charge across stunning Italian landscapes as you choose your path to victory – cut paths through barbed wire, flank your enemies by following mountain trails, or man a mortar to blast a way through. Shape a dynamic battlefield by laying sandbags and wire, placing ammo crates, deploying trench periscopes or sniper shields, and more.
Call in support with a unique historically accurate flare system: flare guns can mark targets for artillery or biplane flybys, or different colored flares can be used to guide your team. Once the big guns have softened up the enemy, finish the job at close quarters with an Arditi dagger or mountaineer’s pickaxe. Man heavy machine guns, mortars and even mountain guns for more direct fire support.
Choose from six classes based on historical combat roles and build your loadout from a selection of weapons, equipment and perks linked to that class, giving flexibility and variety while staying grounded in what real soldiers might have carried. You’ll be operating wire cutters, bandaging yourself and wounded teammates, and blowing the whistle to start an assault. One shot can kill and even lighter injuries can lead to quickly bleeding out.
Being an effective soldier in Isonzo is not just about being a good marksman. Mastering the terrain is also key – the mountain can be a friend or foe. Learn how to navigate well to maintain cover and surprise your enemies or support your allies.
Finally… watch out for the dreaded poison gas. You’ve never experienced WW1 action quite like this!
Isonzo key features include:
• MOUNTAIN WARFARE: Assaulting mountain fortifications, battling through ruined towns, and fording rivers are just a few of the challenges you’ll face as you fight your way through numerous enemy positions
• TACTICAL MULTIPLAYER FPS: Choose your role and loadout carefully to survive this high altitude combat – play a sniper to pick off the enemy engineers before they can cut your wire, use rifle grenades to clear enemy machine guns, and much more
• WORLD WAR ONE GAMEPLAY: Historical Offensive game mode based on real battles and focused on the unique challenges of Alpine warfare. Fight with 30+ WW1 weapons, poisonous gas attacks, and intense artillery barrages
• BUILD FOR VICTORY: Place your own wire, sandbags, trench periscopes, and more! Whether you’re digging in or on the attack, shaping the battlefield to your advantage will be key to victory
• FACES OF WAR: Make every class your own by picking from a variety of historically class-appropriate uniforms, accessories and headgear. As a finishing touch, you can even pick your mustache from several famous period-accurate styles!
• AUTHENTIC WW1 ATMOSPHERE: Accuracy in everything from maps and weaponry to music and the uniforms – fight for the Kingdom of Italy, the German Empire or the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy
MORE GAMES IN THE AUTHENTIC WW1 GAME SERIES
Immerse yourself in more WW1 action with our other standalone titles Tannenberg and Verdun. Experience trench warfare on the Western Front in Verdun, or maneuver for control of key sectors in Tannenberg on the Eastern Front. These authentic WW1 shooters let players choose from a range of squads from across the war, as they fight for control of the ever-changing frontlines.
GAMES
Transport Fever 2: Console Edition is Bringing the Full Transport Tycoon Experience to Xbox
Today, we proudly share a sneak peek into the development of Transport Fever 2: Console Edition, and how we managed to bring the full transport tycoon experience to Xbox.
Transport Fever is a very popular and highly rated transportation tycoon franchise on PC. Its latest entry, Transport Fever 2, delivers a level of size and detail never before seen in the genre. The goal of the game is to build a successful transportation company by constructing railroads, streets, water and air lines. Starting in the 19th century, the player connects towns and industries to transport both passengers and cargo. In addition to a customizable free game mode, there is also a fully-fledged campaign mode with challenging missions set in real-world transportation history.
After the huge success of Transport Fever 2 on PC, it was only logical to bring the experience to consoles as well. Not only that, but no efforts were spared to give the console community the full experience that made the game great on PC. In order to achieve this, the engineers at Urban Games had to pull some rabbits out of their engineers’ hats.
Always providing the freshest layer of paint
One of the most cherished features of Transport Fever 2 are its highly detailed vehicles. The game comes with more than 200 lovingly hand-modeled trains, ships, and airplanes, each sporting multiple 4k textures and normal maps.
On PC, it is easily affordable to have all the models and textures in memory whenever needed, as a typical rig has 16 GB of RAM and a GPU with a dedicated extra memory. Consoles, however, are built differently. They have a unified architecture with an overall smaller amount but ultra-fast memory. The key to make it work on consoles is texture streaming, which allows to clear textures of models that are not in view anymore. Moreover, this technology is used in Transport Fever 2 to constantly load textures at the highest affordable resolution to present the stars of the show, like the classic Class A 3/5 steam locomotive, in their best coat of paint at all times.
Keeping the ground like a console pro
A trademark of Transport Fever 2 are its huge maps. During development of the game, it was always paramount to provide a real sense of scale. The engine should allow for maps where a high-speed train, such as the famous Japanese Shinkansen, can really make use of its superior speed. So, a lot of effort was put into designing a highly effective terrain rendering pipeline that can handle maps of more than 120 sq miles of size with a detail resolution of almost 1 yard. Central to this is a dynamic terrain tessellation algorithm on the CPU that, while costing a bit of extra memory, makes sure the engine can render these maps on a wide variety of PCs.
Now, enter the world of consoles with their incredibly well-designed GPUs and graphic APIs. Here, the hardware can be leveraged very well for terrain rendering by making use of the GPU tessellation feature. This feature generates the render mesh for the terrain fully on the graphics card, saving valuable processing time for the complex economy and city growth simulations. While generating more triangles, the hardware approach still costs less memory overall due to its efficiency. So vast maps can be viewed from a bird’s view high up in the sky and seamlessly zoomed in down to individual rocks on a riverbank.
Inspiring the inner architect
Finally, let’s talk about constructions, a central and defining part of the Transport Fever 2 experience. Constructions are large assemblies that consist of dozens of assets, street segments, ground decals and terrain modifications. Think of structures like airports, train stations, docks, highway crossings, and many more. Anything that is needed to build a vast transportation empire.
For a smooth construction experience, it is key that the player really feels that he has precise control over the building placement. On PC, constructions are typically built using the mouse. As the average PC user is very well adjusted to this method of input, it is sufficiently performant to calculate the entire construction each frame and place it under the cursor. However, on consoles, the best way of building constructions is to have them always kept in the center of the screen and move the camera along the map for placement. And moving the camera needs to be as smooth as silk.
So, for the console release of Transport Fever 2, the construction preview pipeline was overhauled. All dynamic calculations are now performed in the background while a static preview of the structure and its underlying ground plan are shown. Not only are constructions now completely stable in terms of FPS, but they also give feedback to the player on what environment features the construction would tear down when built.
Let’s get tycooning on console
We are very excited to bring the Transport Fever franchise to consoles for the first time ever with the release of Transport Fever 2: Console Edition on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One in February 2023, and we hope you will enjoy it as much as we did developing it.
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