Hello PlayStation Blog community, my name is Kenny Sun and I’m the lead developer of the Ball x Pit, and I’m here to share with you development on the game’s concept, inspiration as well as what players can expect in the first content update that releases today for FREE for all owners of the game!
This journey begins back in November 2021, and while I was on the subway, I saw an ad on my phone for a game called Punball. It looked like a roguelike version of Holedown, a game I enjoyed a lot, so I decided to give it a download. Fifteen minutes later, I looked up and realized that I had missed my stop. I knew that the core of the game had something special, but as I continued to play it I felt that there were a number of elements I wished were different. So, a few weeks later, I decided to make a version of my own. The gameplay for the prototype that would become BALL x PIT wasn’t too different from its original inspiration. But, there were a few key moments in its development that shaped it into a unique fusion of mechanics.
Initially, gameplay in Ball x Pit was turn-based. You would fire a series of balls, they would bounce at incoming enemies, and after all bouncing was complete, enemies would advance and a new row would spawn. I thought the gameplay was fun and wasn’t really considering ways to improve it. But, in February 2022, I downloaded Vampire Survivors, and the idea to try making it into a real-time action game was sparked. I made the change a few weeks later, and immediately the gameplay clicked, I knew I made the right decision.
Another important mechanic in Ball x Pit is the fusion system, where any ball can be combined with any other ball to synergize their abilities. This stemmed from the way I coded the ball mechanics. In code, each ball has 3 categories of ability types: status effects, area-of-effect, and unique effects. So, it was obvious that combining status effects and area-of-effect abilities would be a great way to power up the balls. And naturally, an alternative to this was the evolution system, which combines certain sets of balls into a whole new one. This new stronger ball in turn can be fused with any other ball. For inspiration of different evolutions, I looked at online guides for games in the Doodle God series to see what combinations they had.
The last defining system of Ball x Pit I want to talk about is the base building layer. Other games in the survivors-like genre usually handle meta progression by letting players spend resources in a simple UI, but I wanted this section to stay thematically relevant to the core gameplay. I’ve always loved the feeling of meta progression in games like Loop Hero and Metal Gear Solid V, and wanted to integrate those ideas into Ball x Pit. Naturally, it was clear that buildings could act like bricks in gameplay, and from there I had the idea that characters should be able to bounce around to upgrade things.
As we keep building on this foundation, the next step is our newest content update, titled Ball x Pit: The Regal Update. Take a look below on what to expect from this content heavy update as it’s one of three completely free updates we’re planning throughout the year.
2 new characters
Players of Ball x Pit: The Regal Update will come across two new unlockable characters.
The Falconer fires off two balls launched by a pair of birds flanking the screen, giving their attacks a wide, swooping spread. The Carouser, a medieval royal troublemaker, twists ball trajectories with a personal gravity field that pulls shots off their usual paths.
8 New Balls
– Banished Flame adds yet another burn status—shorter than the standard burn, but packing a much heavier punch.
– Fireworks burst outward in bright, unpredictable patterns, scattering damage in every direction.
– The Stone Ball hits like a truck on impact but slowly crumbles as it keeps bouncing.
– The Brimstone Ball behaves like an Inferno shot but laces its flames with poison for extra lingering harm.
– Landslide triggers a cascading wave of debris in front of the first impact point and deals damage that lasts for a few seconds to surrounding enemies.
PLUS MORE! Because why would we want to spoil the rest?
3 New Passives
– Deadeye’s Impaler cranks up your critical hit chance, and when those crits hit, enemies that are not the boss do not get back up. Well, that’s because they instantly kill.
– Grotesque Artillery pulls from your own gear, firing off a random ball from your equipped lineup every time it triggers
– Iron Onesie rewards chaos, boosting the damage of special balls based on how many baby balls are bouncing around the field.
Endless Mode
Players demanded an Endless Mode so much, it grew to the top of the priority list. This mode unlocks once you’ve finished the game, opening the door to a new way to play for even longer! Each level can now be pushed as far as you can handle, continuing indefinitely as long as you manage to stay alive once finishing the boss in that area, and agreeing to continue deeper into the pit. There’s no finish line here, just escalating pressure, longer runs, and the chance to see how far your skills and builds can really go.
Thanks for reading and we hope you’re excited! Ball x Pit: The Regal Update is now available for free for all Ball x Pit players on PS5.
