# AMERICAN PINBALL'S LEGENDS OF VALHALLA OUT FOR LOCATION TESTING THIS WEEKEND!

**Source:** Knapp Arcade  
**Type:** article  
**Published:** 2021-10-22  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.knapparcade.org/american-pinball-s-legends-of-valhalla-out-for-location-testing-this-weekend

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## Analysis

American Pinball is conducting location testing of Legends of Valhalla at multiple arcades (Bang Back Pinball Lounge in South Carolina, Jackbar in Brooklyn, and Pocketeer Billiards in Buffalo) over a weekend in late October 2024, ahead of an expected official reveal at Chicago Pinball Expo. The game is based on a homebrew version that has circulated in the community.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Mystery game being tested at multiple locations was subject to NDAs preventing disclosure — _Multiple arcades received cryptic messages on Friday 10/22 about NDA-restricted mystery game testing_
- [HIGH] The mystery game is American Pinball's Legends of Valhalla — _Author states 99% confidence based on box comparison to Hot Wheels shipping box and timing relative to Chicago Pinball Expo_
- [HIGH] Official reveal is expected at Chicago Pinball Expo — _Author states American Pinball is 'likely testing the game on location before unleashing it to the masses at the Chicago Pinball Expo next week'_
- [HIGH] Legends of Valhalla originated as a homebrew pinball machine — _Author notes 'I've seen a bunch of video of the original Homebrew Legends of Valhalla being played'_
- [HIGH] Three locations are conducting the location testing: Bang Back Pinball Lounge (South Carolina), Jackbar (Brooklyn), and Pocketeer Billiards (Buffalo) — _All three locations explicitly named in article body and edit_

### Notable Quotes

> "I am 99% sure that the mystery game is American Pinball's upcoming Legends of Valhalla pinball machine."
> — **Knapp Arcade (author)**, N/A
> _Author's confidence assessment based on physical evidence comparison_

> "American is likely testing the game on location before unleashing it to the masses at the Chicago Pinball Expo next week."
> — **Knapp Arcade (author)**, N/A
> _Establishes expected timeline for official announcement_

> "I'm really curious to see what American Pinball tweaked in the mass produced version."
> — **Knapp Arcade (author)**, N/A
> _Indicates expectation of design modifications from homebrew to commercial release_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| American Pinball | company | Boutique pinball manufacturer conducting location testing of Legends of Valhalla |
| Legends of Valhalla | game | Upcoming American Pinball machine based on homebrew version; undergoing location testing |
| Jackbar | organization | Brooklyn pinball arcade/bar venue hosting Legends of Valhalla location testing |
| Bang Back Pinball Lounge | organization | South Carolina pinball arcade hosting Legends of Valhalla location testing |
| Pocketeer Billiards and Sports Bar | organization | Buffalo venue hosting Legends of Valhalla location testing |
| Chicago Pinball Expo | event | Major pinball industry event where Legends of Valhalla is expected to be officially revealed |
| Hot Wheels | game | American Pinball's previous release; shipping box used for comparison to Legends of Valhalla test box |
| Knapp Arcade | organization | Pinball news source publishing location testing discovery |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Product announcement and release pipeline, Location testing and quality assurance, American Pinball game releases
- **Secondary:** Homebrew to commercial game adaptation, Chicago Pinball Expo announcements

### Sentiment

**Positive** (0.85) — Author expresses enthusiasm about location testing discovery and anticipation for seeing commercial adaptations of homebrew design

### Signals

- **[event_signal]** Chicago Pinball Expo serving as platform for major American Pinball product announcement (confidence: high) — Author states Expo reveal is 'likely' target for official game announcement
- **[leak_detection]** NDA-protected location testing details surfaced via social media posts from arcade venues, revealing unannounced game identity through physical evidence comparison (confidence: high) — Author pieced together mystery game identity from cryptic Facebook messages and box photography comparison, despite NDA restrictions
- **[announcement]** American Pinball Legends of Valhalla commercial release confirmed via location testing, with official reveal expected at Chicago Pinball Expo (confidence: high) — Location testing at three venues with 99% author confidence; timing suggests Expo announcement imminent

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## Transcript

Late Friday (10/22) cryptic messages started popping up on the Facebook pages of several of the arcades that I follow. The messages talked about how a mystery game will be on location for testing this weekend but that they were sworn by NDAs not to reveal what the game is. I am 99% sure that the mystery game is American Pinball's upcoming Legends of Valhalla pinball machine. American is likely testing the game on location before unleashing it to the masses at the Chicago Pinball Expo next week. If one compares the box shown in the Jackbar social media post to the box that American Pinball shipped its last game, Hot Wheels, out in they look very similar. I've seen a bunch of video of the original Homebrew Legends of Valhalla being played so this won't exactly be something we have never seen before. Still, I'm really curious to see what American Pinball tweaked in the mass produced version. Get out there to South Carolina’s Bang Back Pinball Lounge and Brooklyn’s Jackbar this weekend and check it out!

EDIT: Add Buffalo’s Pocketeer Billiards and Sports Bar to the mystery pinball machine location list

Here's a closeup on the Jackbar box:

And here is a Hot Wheels box:

Pretty close!

_(Acquisition: raw_text, Enrichment: v1)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: b8aea96c-7dd3-4489-9c86-7bfde1f0f65b*