19 January 2026

2025 Game Awards Nominee Confirms Free Major Update

By newsgame

The Game Awards 2025 nominee Ball x Pit is getting a free major update on January 26, 2026. Ball x Pit was nominated in the Best Independent Game category at the 2025 Game Awards, alongside Absolum, Blue Prince, Hades 2, Hollow Knight: Silksong, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, with the latter taking home the award.

Released back in October 2025 for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch, Ball x Pit takes the general gameplay of classic Atari hit Breakout and blends it with the fast-paced progression of Vampire Survivors and a particularly addictive form of meta progression that sees players gradually building a town with structures that grant new characters, buffs, and upgrade materials. Ball x Pit received very positive reviews at launch, with it currently sitting at an 86 Top Critic Average on OpenCritic, with 94% of critics recommending the indie game.

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Ball X Pit Announces Free Major Update Coming January 26, 2026

Back at the start of December 2025, to celebrate 1 million copies sold, Ball x Pit developer Kenny Sun and Friends announced that three major content updates would be coming to the game in 2026, all entirely free for those who own it. The first of Ball x Pit‘s free 2026 updates has just been given an official release date of January 26. Officially titled ‘The Regal Update,’ this free content drop will add two new characters to Ball x Pit, eight new ball types, new passive abilities, and a “nice surprise” that players are reportedly “going to love,” according to the announcement post on X.

One of Ball x Pit‘s strongest points of praise at launch was its colorful cast of 16 characters, with each one having a distinct ability or trait that shakes up the moment-to-moment gameplay in a substantial way. Ball x Pit‘s Regal Update is adding two new characters to the mix, bringing the game’s total to 18. While the new Carouser fighter will launch balls around himself in a circular arc, the Falconer will throw its balls via two falcons that fly either side of the arena.

More Ball X Pit Updates Are On The Way

Following The Regal Update’s release on January 26, fans can look forward to experiencing two more free Ball x Pit DLCs in 2026. Next up is the ‘Shadow’ update in April, which will be followed by the ‘Naturalist’ update in July. Kenny Sun hasn’t confirmed exactly what will be in these upcoming Ball x Pit free updates, but the official teaser trailer released back in December mentions new fighters, new buildings, new balls, and new ball evolutions (which occur when two fully leveled up balls merge). If the Shadow and Naturalist updates follow in Regal’s footsteps, then fans can probably expect to see another four new characters come to Ball x Pit this year at the least, along with potentially over 15 new ball types.

Even aside from these updates, Ball x Pit has a busy few months ahead of it. Ball x Pit has just won the New York Game Awards’ Excelsior Award, which is given to the best game developed in New York City. In March, Ball x Pit will be in the running for the Game Developers Choice Awards’ Best Debut, Best Design, and Innovation awards, and has a chance of winning the Independent Games Festival’s Excellence in Audio award. Then finally, in April, Ball x Pit could be appearing in the 2026 British Academy Video Game Awards, with it currently being on the Academy’s longlist for the Game Design and New Intellectual Property awards.