Knockout City has proven itself more than just a one-day trend for streamers. While it might not have a gigantic concurrent player base, it does average between three and five thousand players concurrently per day. Additionally, the overall reception has been stellar.
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Because so many people are playing it consistently, the average player is starting to get really good. Games that would’ve taken five minutes on release are now taking two to three times that long with the same players, simply because they're catching more throws. To help people find whatever tricks they can to get ahead, here are the best strategies as of right now that work well on the Concussion Yard map.
8 The Wrecking Ball Is A Tool More Than A Hazard
The most obvious aspect of the Concussion Yard map is o the giant wrecking ball in the middle area — this is a construction-themed map, after all. Luckily, this wrecking ball is a lot less deadly than the trains on Jukebox Junction. It only knocks players away, rather than KO'ing them.
Because of this, it's rather easy for players to use it to their advantage. Hop onto the wrecking ball to avoid an incoming ball, or get behind it so that the ball itself blocks an incoming throw. Players can even trick an enemy into getting hit by it, and get them knocked off the edge of the map or knocked under the elevator. Many see as this part of the map something to avoid, but smart players can use it to turn a game around.
7 There Are Plenty Of Places To Chuck People Off
One thing advantage Concussion Yard has over some of the other maps (except for maybe Rooftop Rumble) is how easily accessible the out-of-bounds area is. If a player manages to trap an enemy in a Cage Ball (the fan-favorite special ball) or catch an incoming enemy Character Throw, they can usually turn and chuck this enemy off the map before they have any sort of chance to escape. This is especially true if the player does a charged lob off the map instead of a regular throw.
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On other maps like Knockout Roundabout, getting the Cage Ball as the special can be more a hindrance than a blessing. On Concussion Yard it’s the exact opposite. That said, try and face directly away from the edge when tricking enemies into this tactic, as the lock-on is a bit stickier than it seems.
6 Curveballs Are Especially Useful
While maps such as Galaxy Burger benefit from a lot of lobbed throws, Concussion Yard is a great map for o curved throws. A well-placed charged curveball can easily go around the big building in the middle, the shipping containers, or the blue pillars on the elevator side of the map.
Lock onto an enemy, hold the charge, walk behind a wall, then let loose a curved shot for an easy hit on plenty of unsuspecting enemies. Learning the angles and distances for the curved throw can really give a player an edge in this game, and Concussion Yard is the perfect map to put that knowledge to the test.
5 Pass To Teammates Often, Since It's Low-Risk
The open space in Concussion Yard makes passing between players a lot easier. About half of the other maps are a lot more constrained by design, which can make it difficult to pass a ball to a faraway teammate without accidentally hitting a wall or barrier along the way. But on Concussion Yard, it’s almost too easy.
It's generally a good idea to lob-pass to teammates from far away, to give them an edge over whoever they're currently fighting. Just be careful on the timing of the throw, as a poorly timed pass can actually interrupt the catching animation.
4 Great Areas To Hide From Or Overwhelm Opponents
While Concussion Yard might be a much more open map in general, there are still some areas where it’s easy to overwhelm or hide from the other team. For example, the pillar area on the elevator side of the map is a common place where lone players get bombarded by the enemy team. Additionally, there’s the area in the middle building where the wrecking ball is that's small and suffocating.
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Finally, there’s that odd little corner hallway right near the hole and the floating crane. Knowing when to hide in here or recognizing when the other team is attempting to hide in these areas can make a big difference in the flow of the match overall.
3 Players Can Hide Underneath The Crane
This next one is a bit of a cheap trick, but it works in certain situations. While in ball-form, players can roll underneath certain areas of all the different maps. On Concussion Yard, the only real place to do this is the floating crane. Because this is a stationary vehicle, players can actually roll underneath it and stay there. This makes them 100% invulnerable to any throws from the outside and grinding the match to a standstill.
Here's hoping that once the Block Party free trial ends, there will be a lot fewer players abusing this oversight. If not, EA will likely patch this at some point in the near future. Ultimate Attack explosions can still hit people underneath this, but for now, it’s a trick that helps teammates stay safe when the score gets really close.
2 It's A Great Map For Ultimate Attacks
Because Concussion Yard is so open, it's always susceptible to attacks from above. Whether it's the highly advanced trick of lobbing a teammate into the air then passing to them while they glide, or just throwing a teammate after charging an Ultimate Attack, always be wary of the skies.
The bounce pads are actually more a hindrance in this regard too. Ultimate Attack-using players can still bounce on these things, throwing off the expected timing of their explosion.
1 Be Wary Of The Middle
The last tip for this particular map actually applies to most of Knockout City’s maps. Only incredibly confident players should rush to the middle of the map at the start of a new round; everyone else should hang back.
Without fail, just about every team in this game runs towards the middle (or launches a teammate towards it) in the beginning to get the Special Ball. If two teams clash in this middle building, things get hectic and confusing. Hanging back for an extra second or two, going around gather balls for the team, or running towards a different area of the map at the beginning can give the team a surprisingly big advantage right away.