With the upcoming Knockout City Season 1 release on May 25, now is the time to dive deep into a new upcoming map: Jukebox Junction. I’m Jeremy Russo, the game director for Knockout City, here to talk to you about the design of Jukebox Junction and some strategies for using the map to your advantage to dominate your opponents.
All aboard
The theme for Season 1 is “Welcome to Knockout City,” and what better way to greet newcomers than a dodge ball in their face when they get off the train? Jukebox Junction is an active jukebox-themed train station that perfectly showcases our level design philosophy at Velan Studios. Each map is designed to be unique and memorable, combining a distinctive theme with a new game mechanic that unlocks new gameplay strategies. Perfectly crafted audio and visual elements immediately immerse you in the station environment, mixed with Jukebox-themed details like huge lighted arcades and a song card-like arrival / departure time. But the characteristic to watch (literally), it is the trains that are recharged at the station!
Periodically, massive flying trains pass through the center of Jukebox Junction, temporarily altering the offensive and defensive options available to you in these sections of the map. Getting hit by a train is an instant knockout, but since they’re soaring, you can move and roll under them to quickly escape or sneak up on your opponents. Be careful, though, as there are also rebound pads that allow players to jump and slide on the train, or they can even perform a Lob Shot with a ball on the other side if they have a lock on you. . One of the most satisfying moves in the game, however, is tackling an opponent. in the train, which allows your team to earn an easy (and hilarious) point. What if you find yourself facing a train about to be tackled yourself? Jump at the last second to trick your opponent into diving head first into the train itself.
Every single card mechanic is supposed to provide these types of strategic options. To avoid the possibility of random outcomes, these trains telegraph well in advance before making their way with distinctive audio, visual and rumble cues. Each train line (red, yellow, blue) also has a fixed schedule, which means that it will always pass through the station at consistent and reliable times.
Look at the landscape
The layout of Jukebox Junction also demonstrates our approach to designing unique fight spaces with distinct benchmarks. Each main location on the map contains a ball, and all spots feature unique geometry for fighting. Due to the high / wide trajectories that thrown balls can travel due to our variety of tricks and ultimate throws, each combat zone features wide shapes in layouts that we never repeat, to open up unique 1vs strategies. 1 and as a team. .
It is also essential that each of these landmarks have their own distinct ‘legend’, which means that they are unique and visibly thematic, allowing players to communicate and call out strategies to their team. For example, in Jukebox Junction, you can announce that an opponent is on the roof of the Coffee Bean’d store, or that you are going to split up and flank the opposing team through the basement.
Come now
Jukebox Junction arrives on scene with the start of Season 1, permanently integrated into every playlist in the game. This is only the beginning, however, as several major new features and tons of other content are also available for the ride. . League Play Season 1 also begins on May 25, a competitive ranking system in which Brawlers will move up (and down) the ranks as they win and lose against opposing crews of the same rank.
The more you increase your rank, the better the rewards will be at the end of the season. Weekly Crew Contracts also begin and continue throughout the 9 weeks of the season, giving crews a sort of ‘social battle pass’ for free with exclusive crew-based rewards and major XP boosts. to work together to tackle difficult challenges. Season 1 Contracts are also available for all players to complete on their own, along with new cosmetic items every day in the Brawl Shop and a new Playlist almost every week, offering you and your your friends, a wide variety of experiences throughout the season.
Whether you bought your ticket or skipped the holo-tourniquet, Season 1 is the perfect opportunity to see how much each season of Knockout City adds to the game. Knockout City is coming May 21 to PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 thanks to backward compatibility, so Crew Up, hop aboard and go dodge!
