{"rewrite":{"id":"r_5ac7e1846784428fca5659bb","clusterId":"c_2c38e8d3dd06799a6d7f15b6","slug":"ball-x-pit-final-free-update-the-naturalist-arrives-august-6","model":"deepseek-v4-flash:free","headline":"Ball x Pit Final Free Update The Naturalist Arrives August 6","summary":"Publisher Devolver Digital and developer Kenny Sun and Friends announced that the third and final free major update for the block-breaking roguelite 'BALL x PIT' will launch on August 6 across all supported platforms. Titled 'The Naturalist Update,' the patch adds two new characters, 11 new balls, and five new passive skills. The new characters are 'The Ballbearer,' who doubles ball slots but removes passive slots for a damage-focused build, and 'The Hoary Hoarder,' who reduces ball slots to two but doubles passive slots. New balls include 'Drill,' which pierces enemies from behind dealing additional damage, 'Flesh,' which gains speed with each bounce, and 'Armageddon,' which triggers a meteor shower on marked enemies. The game, released in October 2025, surpassed 1 million cumulative sales by December of that year and holds an 'Overwhelmingly Positive' rating on Steam with over 23,000 reviews. The update will be available on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, and mobile platforms.","whyItMatters":"The Naturalist Update caps a planned three-update free content cycle for BALL x PIT, which sustained its player base through rapid post-launch additions rather than paid expansions, a strategy that helped it reach 1 million sales within two months of release.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eThe Naturalist Update is the third and final free major update for BALL x PIT, following earlier patches in January and April 2026 that added new characters, balls, and an Endless Mode. Developer Kenny Sun previously stated that three free updates would be released by December 2025, and this update fulfills that plan, though Sun added the caveat \u0026#39;This is the last one (...maybe)\u0026#39; in a statement reported by Automaton. The update introduces two contrasting characters: The Ballbearer doubles ball slots at the cost of passive slots, while The Hoary Hoarder doubles passive slots but limits ball slots to two. Players can deploy two characters, including existing ones, enabling varied combinations. Among the 11 new balls, \u0026#39;Flesh\u0026#39; starts at half damage but accelerates with each bounce until it leaves afterimages, and \u0026#39;Armageddon\u0026#39; marks enemies before calling down a meteor shower. Five new passives, including \u0026#39;Ardent Tire\u0026#39; and \u0026#39;Windweaver,\u0026#39; were also named by Game Spark. The game is available on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, and iOS/Android, and is also supported on Game Pass via the Microsoft Store. No new stages or achievements were added in this update, which some players had requested, according to Automaton.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"The Ballbearer doubles ball slots but removes passives; the Hoary Hoarder does the opposite. BALL x PIT's final free update lets you deploy two characters for hybrid builds.","twitterPost":"BALL x PIT's The Naturalist Update arrives Aug 6 with 11 new balls including one that calls down a meteor shower. The dev says it's the last free update '...maybe.'","threadsPost":null,"newsletterBlurb":"Devolver Digital announced the final free update for BALL x PIT, The Naturalist, launching August 6. It adds two new characters with opposing playstyles, 11 new balls, and five new passives across all platforms.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"GAME Watch\",\"url\":\"https://game.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/2128765.html\",\"title\":\"「BALL x PIT」Final Free Update to Release on August 6\"},{\"source\":\"Automaton\",\"url\":\"https://automaton-media.com/articles/newsjp/20260729-457100/\",\"title\":\"Huge Hit Roguelite 'BALL x PIT' to Release 'Final' Free Major Update on August 6, Packed with New Characters Doubling Ball Slots and 11 New Balls\"},{\"source\":\"Denfaminicogamer\",\"url\":\"https://news.denfaminicogamer.jp/news/260729m\",\"title\":\"Block Break × Roguelite 'Overwhelmingly Positive' Game 'BALL x PIT' Final Free Major Update to Release on August 6. Ultra Firepower Specialized Character with Double Ball Slots Appears\"},{\"source\":\"Game Spark\",\"url\":\"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/07/29/169874.html\",\"title\":\"Block-breaking roguelite 'BALL x PIT' final free content update 'The Naturalist' to release on August 6 - new characters, balls, and passives introduced\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":6463,"outputTokens":1269,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1785299148,"createdAt":"2026-07-29T04:20:28.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-07-29T04:20:45.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-29T04:20:28.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_2c38e8d3dd06799a6d7f15b6","canonicalTitle":"ブロック崩しローグライト『BALL x PIT』最後の無料追加コンテンツ「The Naturalist」8月6日配信決定―新キャラ・ボール・パッシブが登場","representativeArticleId":"a_21a070d0c2229f0c68a64a03","sourceCount":4,"writtenSourceCount":4,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":false,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[\"BALL x PIT\"],\"studios\":[\"Devolver Digital\",\"Kenny Sun and Friends\"],\"people\":[],\"type\":\"release\",\"domain\":\"games\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-07-28T21:30:03.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-07-29T02:22:12.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-29T04:20:45.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"GAME Watch (Impress)","url":"https://game.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/2128765.html","title":"「BALL x PIT」最終無料アップデートが8月6日に配信"},{"source":"Denfaminicogamer","url":"https://news.denfaminicogamer.jp/news/260729m","title":"ブロック崩し×ローグライトの“圧倒的に好評”ゲーム『BALL x PIT』最後の無料大型アプデが8月6日に配信決定。ボール枠「2倍」の超火力特化キャラが登場"},{"source":"Automaton","url":"https://automaton-media.com/articles/newsjp/20260729-457100/","title":"大ヒットローグライト『BALL x PIT』、“最後”の無料大型アプデ8月6日配信へ。「ボール枠2倍」の新キャラや新ボール11種など追加要素ドカ盛り"},{"source":"Game Spark","url":"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/07/29/169874.html","title":"ブロック崩しローグライト『BALL x PIT』最後の無料追加コンテンツ「The Naturalist」8月6日配信決定―新キャラ・ボール・パッシブが登場"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":["BALL x PIT"],"studios":["Devolver Digital","Kenny Sun and Friends"],"people":[],"type":"release","domain":"games","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":["The Naturalist Update for BALL x PIT launches on August 6, 2026, on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, and mobile platforms.","The update adds two new characters: The Ballbearer (double ball slots, no passive slots) and The Hoary Hoarder (two ball slots, double passive slots).","The update adds 11 new balls, including Drill, Flesh, Offspring, Petrify, and Armageddon, and five new passives including Ardent Tire and Windweaver.","BALL x PIT surpassed 1 million cumulative sales by December 2025, two months after its October 2025 release.","The game holds an 'Overwhelmingly Positive' rating on Steam with over 23,000 reviews as of late July 2026."]}