Pro Jank Footy, the arcade comedy-sports game loosely adapting Aussie Rules football, will officially launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC at 9am AEDT on 13 August.
It’s been a long time coming for the game, which has been in development at Powerbomb Games and Tinker Town for several years. Across various showcases in Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne, it’s proved to be a potent hit with players, offering a combination of moreish gameplay and humour.
Pro Jank Footy gets release date – quick links
What to know about Pro Jank Footy
Pro Jank Footy is a more light-hearted take on a traditional sports game. While you can play it simply as an Aussie Rules simulator, the base gameplay mode adds a touch of magic to the game – quite literally. As you play through rounds, you’ll unlock power-ups from a pool of 150 different options, all of which come with their own game-changing impacts.
Some power-ups will make you very large, to the point where you tower over your teammates and opponents. Some power-ups turn folks into seagulls. There are also power-ups for speeding up, stealing points from the other team, and one that adds portals to the field.
It’s all part of the vision of developers David Ashby and Dario Russo (Danger 5, Italian Spiderman), with their signature brand of absurdism inspiring an array of odd and funny gameplay mechanics. Commentary by Aunty Donna’s Broden Kelly ties the whole experience together.
Our preview of Pro Jank Footy
As we shared in our early preview of Pro Jank Footy, this is a game that needs to be played to grasp the full breadth of its funny strangeness.
‘Pro Jank Footy revels in this chaos. It’s a sports simulator that is incredibly silly, fun and absolutely absorbing,’ we wrote in our preview. ‘We can always do with games that take themselves less seriously and in this upcoming release, Powerbomb Games, Tinker Town and Umbrella have something grand on their hands.’
ScreenHub: Pro Jank Footy preview – a hilarious, gut-busting sports sim
‘You can play Pro Jank Footy as a classic footy simulator. You don’t have to choose the shenanigans. There’s a basic mode where you’re playing through matches in standard style, without any silly antics. Gameplay in either mode is directly inspired by arcade games, particularly NBA Jam. It’s sleek and approachable, allowing you to charge across fields, tackle and boot your way to victory.’
‘One moment, you’re aiming to achieve a high score by nailing goals. The next moment, you’re trying not to get squished by a very tall man, or you’re attempting to circumvent player tackles by leaping your way through portals on the playing field. In these ridiculous add-ons, Pro Jank Footy suddenly transforms into something else entirely.’
‘That’s the crux of why Pro Jank Footy is such a fun sports sim. While it eventually devolves into absolute chaos in its primary mode, this is built on the bones of a traditional, fully-featured football game.’
Those keen to experience all the madness this game offers won’t have to wait long before kick-off.
