Multiplayer dodgeball game Knockout City was one of last year's day one releases with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, but it's no longer going to require a place on the service soon, as it's planning to go entirely free-to-play with the release of the game's sixth season at some point this spring.

In an announcement on the EA website, developer Velan Studios highlighted that the move would "bring our game to millions of new players around the world," with previous buyers set to be rewarded with special in-game rewards:

"Our first priority will always be our community, and we’ve built a special Season 6 Loyalty Bundle specifically for those who have already purchased the game before Season 6 launches that’ll include exclusive legendary cosmetics, XP boosts, and 2,000 Holobux.*

In addition, Velan Studios has announced that EA will no longer be publishing Knockout City moving forward, with the developer taking matters into its own hands and self-publishing the game instead.

This is a "natural next step" according to the studio, and will "allow us to fully realize our vision for the long-term future of this game." However, it was also acknowledged that without the support of the EA Originals program, Knockout City would never have been able to exist in the first place.

"We’ll be sharing more about Season 5: Greatest Hits, the upcoming move to free-to-play and self-publishing, and the exciting future of Knockout City in the coming days, weeks, and months. We can’t wait to show you what we have in store."

Still playing Knockout City? Thoughts on this move? Let us know down in the comments below.

[source ea.com]