While Jackbox Games normally has a fall release in their series, the company had been playing coy on when The Jackbox Party Pack 9 would release, not giving a firm date until today. Today, they have announced the Jackbox Party Pack 9 release date is October 20th and answered several other questions about their newest pack.
While they were trolling fans on Twitter about the Jackbox Party Pack 9 release date, saying they were keeping it for themselves, the real reason for the delay is that they wait to announce a date until they have passed submission on all platforms they are releasing on. This presumably helps them avoid issues of missing release due to having to modify the game on certain platforms to meet certification requirements, and means that when they announce a release date they know it is final. Part of this is probably due to being on an annual cadence as well, and the fact that they release on a long list of platforms each with its own rules.
What's new in The Jackbox Party Pack 9?
Jackbox Party Pack 9 introduces for the first time, the ability to kick players from lobbies and games, a useful feature for those streaming online or playing in public in getting rid of nuisances. Additionally, QR Codes will appear on the screen in the lobby for players to join, providing an easy way to get in on the fun.
Beyond these quality of life features is the heart and soul of each Jackbox Party Pack; the games. This year's edition has 5 games:
- Fibbage 4 - the latest iteration of the trivia bluffing game
- Quixort - a team-based game where you must sort falling answers into the proper order
- Junktopia - a magical joke auction where you must get the most valuable items (with your own backstories for them) to get turned back into a Human from a Frog
- Nonsensory - a game where you have to guess where another player's prompt ranks on a silly scale
- Roomerang - a reality-tv show based game where you try to gain points with the funniest answers
There are demos of the five games available on Jackbox's Youtube, with various internet personalities/streamers playing them.
The Jackbox Party Pack 9 will be available October 20th on PC (via Steam, Epic, Mac App Store), Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Apple TV iPad, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Luna, and Google Stadia. We don't think it is releasing on the Ouya, but if Jackbox were to announce it wouldn't surprise us either. You can preorder right now on Steam and get 10% off as well. Those in the US can also order via the Jackbox website for a Steam key and also get 10% off.
