Experience hard-hitting, fast-paced brawling inspired by classic ’80s and ’90s toys and arcade games on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S in 2027
DETROIT – Aug. 12, 2026 – Bit Bot is thrilled to announce it is publishing Knock Off: The Battle for Imagination, a 2D toy-box fighting game where action figures come to life in a world inspired by ’80s and ’90s playtime mayhem. Developed by Mecanimal with developer and publishing support from Bit Bot, this hard-hitting brawler with modern fighting game mechanics, a fistful of retro nostalgia, a complete arcade mode, and online and local multiplayer will come to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam in 2027.
“Everything about Knock Off‘s era of tactile nostalgia and deep yet simple VS combat speaks to me as a gamer and the kid I once was,” said Frank O’Connor, former Halo Franchise Creative Director and current Creative Director at Bit Bot. “Action figures, toys and video games have always been about kindling and energizing imagination – not replacing it – and that notion is absolutely incandescent in Knock Off‘s DNA. Combining those things and lensing it through a child’s eyes has been inspiring and above all else, fun.”
Johnny’s toys were never name-brand, but they were always legendary. When Maximus, Johnny’s first official brand-name action figure, arrives and shakes up the arena, Johnny’s beloved bootleg toys must prove that off-brand doesn’t mean outmatched.
Enter a world of old-school action figures and retro attitude in Knock Off: The Battle for Imagination, where plastic warriors inspired by your favorite ’80s and ’90s toys and action figures come to life and clash in ultra-stylish playtime pugilism. Every fighter brings their own unique strengths, techniques, and playstyle into the arena with strategic matchups, distinct move sets, and awesome skill-based combat.
“Knock Off is the game we dreamed about as kids, where our favorite toys came to life and settled everything with a fight,” said Joshua Viola, co-owner of Bit Bot. “We wanted to capture that feeling of dumping your toys on the floor and creating an entire universe in your head. It’s nostalgic and packed with personality.”
Key Features
- Master Fast-paced Combat: Smash your enemies with air combos, launchers, EX moves, and spectacular supers in 2D action that’s easy to pick up yet challenging to master.
- One-of-a-Kind Heroes: Choose your favorite fighter from a roster of epic characters influenced by classic ‘80s and ‘90s toys and cartoons – and the knock-offs they inspired – with handcrafted playstyles, rich move sets, fun assist sidekicks, deep fighting mechanics and each toy’s own knock-off lore.
- Arcade Mode: Choose your fighter and take on a gauntlet of opponents in an arcade-style single-player mode with a fully voiced narrative.
- Head-to-Head Online Battles: Take on all rivals in state-of-the-art online play, with rollback netcode, customizable matchmaking, and global ranking systems. Jump into a casual match or prove your skills in tournament play.
- Vintage ’80s & ’90s Nostalgia: Discover battle arenas packed with hidden Easter eggs and an unlockable retro beat-’em-up minigame with classic side-scrolling arcade action.
- Playtime Is Back: The mayhem will keep going after launch with roster expansions featuring new fighters and special guest characters, new stages, and much, much more.
- Retro-Fueled Soundtrack: Turn up the fight with an original soundtrack by Celldweller and Scandroid, packed with high-energy tracks inspired by the sounds of the ‘80s and ‘90s.
“It would have blown my little mind if I had known that as an adult, I’d have the chance to write a theme song and full soundtrack for a game that perfectly captured those moments of my youth,” said Klayton, co-owner of Bit Bot Media and the musician behind Celldweller and Scandroid, who composed the game’s soundtrack.
Knock Off: The Battle for Imagination is coming to PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S in 2027 and is available to wishlist now on Steam. For the latest game info and updates, visit the game’s website, join the community on Discord, and follow along on Instagram and Facebook.
ABOUT BIT BOT
Bit Bot is a multi-platform entertainment studio focused on developing original and licensed video games, comics, collectibles, film, and television projects. The company has worked with properties including Legacy of Kain, Thief, The Dark Crystal, The Terminator, Evil Dead 2, The Rocky Horror Show, Cyberpunk 2077 and more. For more information, visit https://www.bitbotmedia.com/.
ABOUT MECANIMAL GAMES
Mecanimal Games is a Dominican Republic-based indie studio co-owned under the Bit Bot umbrella, bringing technical production values to interactive entertainment through expertise in 3D animation and movie visual effects. Mecanimal collaborates with Bit Bot on select projects — including Knock Off: The Battle for Imagination — while also developing their own original titles with strong visual identity.