The creator of Ball x Pit, Kenny Sun, announced in a PlayStation blog post that the game’s second free update, The Shadow Update, will be released on April 27th. Sun warns that “games will get a bit more chaotic,” which is welcome news for those already captivated by the excellent ball-and-pit gameplay.
Similar to the previous update, The Shadow Update will introduce two new characters: The Tunneller and The Tiptoer. The Tunneller is described as “a tenacious miner whose shots don’t end at the edges,” while The Tiptoer is “a fragile yet lethal ninja who remains undetected by enemies at close range in exchange for reduced health and damage.”
Next week, players will also have access to eleven new balls, which are the primary means of defense, offense, and exploration in Ball x Pit. The excitement lies in discovering new synergies between balls, their fusions, and especially their evolutions. The Shadow Update will add the following balls to the game: Venom, Time, Erosion, Time Bomb, Timestop, Warp, Sniper, and Heart Swallower. The remaining three are expected to be the result of combining other balls, similar to the existing mechanics that allow for powerful ball combinations.
There will also be four new passive abilities: one that increases damage based on baby balls and enemies on screen; another that grants immunity to certain attacks, converting them into counter-attacks in the opposite direction; a classic “high-to-low” passive that boosts the ball’s initial hit before it diminishes with bounces; and finally, a passive that reduces attack power but gradually accumulates damage based on the number of enemies in play.
The most significant new addition is the Guildhall, a new building. We will see how all these additions impact Ball x Pit starting April 27th. It’s an opportune moment to dive into Ball x Pit. For the author, The Regal Update transformed a few hours of playtime into nearly 40 in a surprisingly short period. The new balls, passive abilities, characters, and the infinite mode were particularly engaging, making it easy to understand why the game was a favorite for many last year.
