Knockout City free trial kicks off with a 10-day Block Party at launch

The Knockout City Block Party will give all dodgeball contenders 10 days to try out the game for free as soon as it arrives, complete with special events and rewards.

Developer Velan Studios revealed its full plans for the free trial in a post on EA's official site: the Knockout City Block Party will start winding up with official Twitch streams on the night of May 20, then the free access will begin as soon as Knockout City officially launches on May 21 at 5 pm PDT / 8 am EDT / 1 pm BST. Everybody across all supported platforms (that's PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and S, Nintendo Switch, and PC via both Steam and Origin) will be able to play Knockout City for free from launch through the same time on May 30.

Of course, Knockout City won't be free forever - the standard edition will cost $19.99, and Velan Studios is giving players an extra reason to pick up the game before the trial ends with the Block Party Bundle: it includes a new outfit and other customization items for your character as well as an extra 500 Holobux to spend in the in-game store, all yours for free if you purchase Knockout City during the Block Party event. I'm not sure if you'll get the bundle if you're playing through EA Play/Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, and I've reached out to an EA rep for more clarity there.

On top of playing for free, you'll be able to earn in-game rewards with Block Party contracts and try out the early days of Season 1: Welcome to Knockout City when it begins on May 25. Other special events throughout the Block Party include community-versus-developer matches, tournaments, and stream sessions.

I got the chance to try out Knockout City a few months ago and I enjoyed its raucous blend of dodgeball fundamentals with third-person arena combat.