Prerelease:Bloons TD 6

This page details pre-release information and/or media for Bloons TD 6.

This page is rather stubbly and could use some expansion. Are you a bad enough dude to rescue this article?

Development Timeline

2010

• February 23 - Ninja Kiwi registers the domain btd6.com via GoDaddy.

2014

• Design documents are first created.

2015

• Programming and art begins.

2017

• March 29 - Bloons TD 6 is officially announced via PRLog, with an early logo and a release slated for 2017.
• October 26 - The game is announced to be delayed to 2018.

2018

• June 14 - Bloons TD 6 is released for iOS and Android.

Concept Art

To do: Write descriptions for these. Compare early designs to the final designs.

Captain Churchill

An old drawing of Captain Churchill. This notably resembles what Churchill looked like in unused portraits found in the game data at launch, complete with a green helmet and a banana emblem on the side of his tank.

(Source: Ninja Kiwi Blog)

Benjamin

Concept sheet of Benjamin, and the first one to include actual balancing information. On the aesthetics side, Benjamin has glasses in his base form; remains of this could be seen in his early hero icon found in the game data, but in the final, Benjamin doesn't get glasses until his Level 7-9 portrait.

Level	Concept	Launch	3.0	Notes
1	Hacks $150 per round	Using his elite hacking skills, Benjamin can generate extra money for the cause.	Hacks in $100 every round.	Level 1 Benjamin hacks less cash in the released version, only beginning to hack $150 at Level 2. In addition, the description of the ability changes terminology to describe Benjamin "generating" cash, re-contextualizing it as him "hacking" the cash. Given the character bio in the image states Benjamin was a hacker even at this point in development, this may have been done to bridge the gap between Benjamin's personality and his in-game functions.
3	Boost damage of the closest 4 monkeys by +2 for 6 secondes[sic] (ignores farms, academy, village). Those monkeys require a 2 second cooldown at the end however when they cannot attack	Biohack: 4 closest Monkeys pop an extra layer per attack for 6 seconds. Affected Monkeys can't attack for 2 seconds after effect ends.		Biohack boosts damage by 1 instead of 2 in the released version.
5	All banks earn +5% income	Bank Hack - all banks earn +5% income.		Same as the released version.
6	Adds 5 lives at the end of every round (caps at whatever the starting lives were)	Cyber Security - Restores 5 lives at the end of each round.		Same as the released version.
7	Every few seconds sends a Trojan software virus to random bloon. Affected bloon spawns no children when destroyed.	Bloon Trojan - Every few seconds sends a Trojan software virus to random Bloon. Affected Bloon spawns no children when destroyed.		Mostly the same as the released version, but the default level cannot target Camo Bloons or MOAB-Class Bloons, and can only target MOABs, BFBs, DDTs, and Camo Bloons at later levels - something unspecified in the concept sheet. It's unclear if this was a deliberate nerf (in order to exclude ZOMGs or BADs), or a correction.
10	Downgrades all newly spawned Bloons by 1 rank. Cash per pop from affected Bloons is double. Lasts 10 seconds.		Downgrades most newly spawned Bloons by 1 rank. Cash per pop from affected Bloons is double. Lasts 10 seconds.	The description for Syphon Funding at Level 10 was changed to say "most" instead of "all" in the released version, though like the Bloon Trojan it's not clear if this was a nerf (in this case to exclude BADs) or just a correction.
20	Syphon Funding lasts 20 seconds and cash per pop is triple normal for affected Bloons.			Same as the released version.

(Source: Ninja Kiwi Blog)

Ezili

A concept sheet for Ezili. On the aesthetic side, her staff was changed from a bone wand that gains green glowing markings, to an increasingly evolving wooden staff that eventually gets a bone tip. Ezili's mask she acquires at Level 20 is completely different - instead of being a skull, it is a wooden mask. In addition, the mark on her forehead is a simple cross instead of a target-like shape, and it stays orange up until Ezili is at Level 16. The MOAB Hex ability is also purple instead of green.

Level	Concept	Launch	7.0	Notes
1	Instantaneous attack (like sniper and can hit through walls) hits like a glue soak. Does 1 damage, then another 1 damage 2.5 seconds later. UNLIKE GLUE THIS CAN STACK WITH ITSELF	Ezili curses Bloons with dark voodoo power.		Ezili's status effect works differently in the released version: the attack applies a constant 2.5 damage per second for 2.6 seconds by default, and stacks by refreshing any existing curses and applying a new curse with a 1-second-shorter duration each time.
3	Heartstopper: Prevents any Regrow from happening for 6 seconds.			Same as the released version.
7	A totem that gives Camo detection, extra pierce and attack speed to nearby Monkeys. Drains 10 lives. (Has the effect of a 2-2-0 village)	Sacrificial Totem: A totem that gives Camo detection, extra pierce, attack range, attack speed, and projectile speed to nearby Monkeys. Drains 10 lives.		In the released version, Sacrificial Totem also gives extra range and projectile speed to Monkeys within range. The conceptual description states that it has the same effect as a 2-2-0 Monkey Village, which would be inaccurate unless the Monkey Village originally increased range by 15% instead of 10% and had an upgrade that increased pierce (i.e. Monkey Fort from Bloons Tower Defense 5).
7	Places a curse on a MOAB class bloon, it takes damage every second until annihilated.	MOAB Hex: places a curse on a MOAB-Class Bloon, it takes damage every second until annihilated.		Same as the released version.
20	MOAB Hex destroys MOAB-Class Bloons twice as fast.		MOAB Hex works faster and can destroy BAD Bloons.	In the released version, the upgrade to MOAB Hex was nerfed to deal less damage over time, but was also changed to allow it to affect BADs. It's not known if MOAB Hex was originally able to affect BADs by default or not, making it unclear if this change is a buff or an accommodation to a MOAB Hex nerf at lower levels.

(Source: Ninja Kiwi Blog)

Pat Fusty

A concept sheet for Pat Fusty. On the aesthetic side of things, Pat had his proportions slightly altered, though the in-game design stayed more-or-less the same. However, Pat's designs for leveling up are almost entirely different - Pat gained an intermittent portrait at Level 5 where he gains white bandages around his hands, his Level 10 design had red bandages added to his hands, and his Level 20 design was entirely reworked; instead of his fur turning red and gaining a black and green headband, in the final version, Pat's fur stays mostly the same aside from a patch of red hair, gains darker arm fur towards his forearm, gains golden hand bandages, and a solid black headband.

Level	Concept	Launch	9.0	Notes
1	Ground pound, does 3 damage to target bloon and 1 damage to surrounding bloons (animation should alternate hands) radius 8	Pat slams bloons into the ground.		In the released version, Pat's attack deals 2 damage to the target Bloon instead of 3 and has an AOE radius of 9 units instead of 8.
3	All Monkeys within 30 units radious[sic] get +1 damage for 7 seconds, 55 second cooldown.	Rallying Roar: All nearby Monkeys can pop +1 layer. Lasts 7 seconds.		In the released version, the cooldown for Rallying Roar is 40 seconds instead of 55.
5	Every 5 attacks does a backfist style smack that pushed[sic] bloons back down the track, up to 8 normal bloons or 2 ceramics can be pushed this way, excludes moabs	Sometimes does a powerful slap that pushes Bloons away from the exit.		In the released version, this attack can hit up to 10 Bloons instead of 8, does not have extra pierce consumed by Ceramic Bloons, and can affect MOAB-Class Bloons.
10	Grabs a bloon up to BFB size and squeezes and pops it. Total time for grab squeeze pop is 5 seconds, cooldown 30 seconds. Icon looks like big monkey hands crushing bloon like the mountain in game of thrones killing the viper	Big Squeeze: Grabs a Bloon no bigger than BFB and crushes it to bits over 5 seconds.	Big Squeeze: Grabs a MOAB, BFB, DDT (if visible), or ZOMG and crushes it to bits over 5 seconds.	In the released version, Big Squeeze works on ZOMGs and DDTs at as soon as Level 10 instead of Level 20 and has a cooldown of 20 seconds instead of 30.
20	Big Squeeze can affect ZOMG and DDT Bloon types.		Big Squeeze can grab several big Bloons at once.	Instead of allowing Big Squeeze to work on ZOMGs and DDTs (which it can do at as soon as Level 10 in the released version), this upgrade allows the ability to grab multiple MOAB-Class Bloons at once in the released version.

(Source: Ninja Kiwi Blog)

Dartling Gunner

An early concept for the Dartling Gunner and its new upgrades. While details on the upgrades aside from the names are not stated, a lot of early upgrades were shifted around or outright omitted, and a lot of the aesthetics are different, including the addition of color-coding.

Tier	Name	Description
Base	Dartling Gunner	Instead of a loose-fitting hat like the Sniper Monkey, the Dartling Gunner gained a helmet akin to that of the Mortar Monkey. The golden circle emblem was shifted to the very front, instead of towards the side.
Path 1
1	Focused Firing	The golden emblem and gatling gun in the early version are unchanged, while the hat itself gets a target symbol. In the final, the green hat itself is untouched, but the golden emblem gets a red "jewel" and the gun gets a yellow finish.
2	Faster Barrel Spin	Reorganized from 2xx to x2x in the final version. The Gatling Gun and hat become blue, like its incarnation from Bloons TD 5; however, in the final version the hat itself is unchanged, instead changing the golden circle emblem to a green triangular emblem, and the gun itself gains a purple color with green barrels.
3	Laser Cannon	Almost entirely different from the final version. In the early version, the Laser Cannon resembled its Bloons TD 5 version, with a Glue Gunner-like goggles and suit, and a red gun with a target-like barrel. In the final version, the Laser Cannon has a red helmet and a green visor, but is not wearing a suit, and the gun is completely different, being black with golden borders, and a fork-like conduit in lieu of a barrel.
4	Plasma Accelerator	In the early version, the Plasma Accelerator has a black suit, a ventilator mask, and the gun itself is bronze, has a green and red "target" barrel, and has four blue plasma bulbs out the sides. In the final version, the Plasma Accelerator gains a red suit, has a red helmet with a green visor, and the gun itself is golden, with a ruby, gem-like barrel and two red plasma bulbs out the sides.
5	Ray of Doom	Almost entirely different from the final version. In the early version, the monkey manning the Ray of Doom is a generic scientist monkey, and the Ray of Doom itself has a very steampunk-esque design, with bronze components, a brown seat, a blue plasma bulb facing outward, and a mostly-exposed green crystal firing the ray. In the final, it is manned by the same monkey as the Plasma Accelerator, who gains a golden belt, and the Ray of Doom itself is primarily red, with golden trims, a gray seat, six red plasma bulbs facing to the sides, and a mostly-concealed green crystal firing the ray, being enhanced by two added Tesla coils.
Path 2
1	Powerful Darts	Reorganized from x1x to xx2 in the final version. In the early version, the gunner's hat gains a red target, and the gun itself gains a red stripe. In the final version, the gunner's helmet is made more rounded and has two yellow stripes added, the gun gains a blue stripe towards its back, and the darts fired gain a blue body.
2	Depleted Bloontonium	Completely removed in the final version. This design resembles the original Depleted Bloontonium design from Bloons TD 5, with a purple hat and a purple gun with a radioactive symbol. While no upgrade in the final game uses this design proper, traces of the purple theme remain in the middle path, as it is color-coded according to this upgrade's design, and the rockets specifically are modeled after the Bloontonium Darts from Bloons TD 5.
3	Hydra Rocket Pods	Mostly different from the final game. Originally, the Hydra Rocket Pods had a black and orange-red uniform, a greenish circle emblem, earmuffs, and had a black and orange gun. In the final game, this and all further upgrades are color-coded to the color purple to help distinguish it from the top path, and so the Hydra Rocket Pods gained a purple helmet with a green triangle emblem, a green ventilation mask, and a squarish purple and black gun that fires black and green bloontonium missiles.
4	Rocket Storm	Almost completely different from the final game. Originally, Rocket Storm had a bulky, black gun with two orange stripes and two straps to a backpack, while the gunner had a black helmet with an orange visor. In the final, this was changed to an angular purple and navy gun with joysticks to the side, rested atop a tripod, while the gunner gained a navy suit and full gray helmet with a green jewel emblem and a face and mouth hole that resembles a skull.
5	MAD (Moab Assured Destroyer)	Design is completely different from the final game. In the early version, the M.A.D is a monkey in a red-orange hat with a green emblem and earmuffs, piloting a gray mech with a gray toolbox-like shape for the body, two black gatling guns with orange stripes for arms, and two gray legs with caution tape on the heels. In the final version, the M.A.D has a monkey in full suit and helmet piloting a mech body, with the mech's "head" being the monkey in a big helmet with ventilation at the top, two purple gems, two bloontonium nodes, a green gem on the chest, and a purple trim around the head, with black gloves. The mech body has a blue seating area, and the arms are angular purple and black guns with a green glowing hole instead of a barrel, and the legs are solid black with purple feet. In addition, there is a mild formatting change to the name, where Moab Assured Destroyer is capitalized as "MOAB Assured Destroyer", and the abbreviation is parsed as simply "MAD" instead of the final's "M.A.D".
Path 3
1	Faster Swivel	In the early version, the hat becomes solid red and the golden circle emblem becomes silver, while the gun itself has two bands become gray. In the final version, the helmet itself becomes more rounded, and the gun itself gets put atop a tripod, placing a silver band around it.
2	Lock and Load	Completely removed in the final version. In Bloons TD 6, the ability to lock a Dartling Gunner's aim is a default feature, though this upgrade seems to suggest it would be a crosspath instead. The design features the gunner regain a golden emblem and green bands around the gun itself, but retain the red hat. It's possible this may be an error and the visuals were swapped between the Faster Swivel upgrade and this. No trace of this design was kept in the final upgrade line.
3	Buckshot	Completely different from the final version, and a more prominent example of color-coding - the early version is red once again, as are all future upgrades in the line, while in the final version, every line after this features a blue and gold motif. In the early version, the Buckshot gun has three barrels, is very bulky, and has red handles to hold the gun up, while the gunner gains a red brimmed hat with a black stripe. In the final version, the gunner gains a blue helmet with a pop-out golden circle emblem and two yellow stripes that pop out, and the Buckshot gun is firmly atop a pedestal and contains multiple barrels that condense into one barrel, with the red handles being recontextualized as a way to pivot the gun.
4	Bloon Area Denial System	Very different from the final version - the tower itself is almost all solid black, with red bands, and the gunner itself is mostly hidden, with a red hat, lime circle emblem, and earmuffs. In the final version, the tower is striped blue and white, with silver and golden "feet" and barrels (though in-game, the barrels are silver and lime instead), and the monkey is fully peeking outside the tower, wearing a more elaborate version of the Buckshot helmet with an elaborate gold-and-ruby emblem, pronounced stripes, and two circles sticking out the sides where the ears are.
5	Bloon Exclusion Zone	Almost entirely different from the final game. The tower is mostly solid black, with the cannon barrels being silver and rather pig-nose like with a red finish, and the tower is five tiers. The monkey is once again mostly hidden, wearing a black helmet with red goggles strapped atop it that the monkey is not wearing. In the final version, the tower is blue with gray stripes, the barrels are more elaborate with three barrels condensing into one nozzle, and has six tiers instead of five. The monkey has a different design, tucked inside the tower like the concept art, but with a completely different blue helmet with yellow circles on the ears and center, white stripes, and a built-in cyan visor that the monkey uses.

(Source: Ninja Kiwi Blog)

Quiet Street

An early concept for the Quiet Street map, dated 2017, appears to be a photo of a Bloons TD 6 game mockup on a sheet of paper, with all assets created digitally before being printed and turned into cutouts. Appearance wise, this version of the map is vastly different from the final version, appearing to be a cul de sac but far zoomed out, showing the uninhabited terrain just outside of it. The cul de sac had its exit facing north instead of west, was surrounded by five houses without cars in between, and had no placement obstacle inside the circle. There was only one rectangular pool on the left side of the exit, presumably ready for use when starting the game. Bloons would have traveled on the one path on the left lane of the road, as opposed to two opposite simultaneous lanes and one right-leaning lane for MOAB-Class Bloons.

According to a Ninja Kiwi staff Rohan, the map had its name changed multiple times during development. As implied by the writing above the concept art, the name "Cul de sac" was once considered.

The concept art also provided early designs of in-game UI and tower portraits. The UI remains fairly similar to the final version, mostly in terms of layout. The Lives and Cash icons had somewhat different graphics. The early Pause button was located where the final Powers button is, and was later relocated to the in-game top right corner, where the Round counter would also get added. The Play Round button appeared as "GO!" instead.

Among the portraits shown, the Dart Monkey and Boomerang Monkey portraits were the only portraits to have carried over to the final version, albeit with a minor change to the Dart Monkey's dart from fully white to a darker shade of gray for the body, lighter shade of gray for the tip, and yellow for the tail. The early Pat Fusty portrait resembled his appearance in the concept sheet from the Ninja Kiwi Blog but without dark stripes. The early Bomb Shooter portrait had gray wheels instead of brown and had its position slightly altered akin to the final Frag Bombs. The early Tack Shooter portrait showed a slightly rotated Tack Shooter, which had three very thin tacks on its emblem, similar to the final Faster Shooting Tack Shooter. The early Ice Monkey portrait had the monkey facing left and had two snowflakes floating on the left. The early Glue Gunner portrait had the monkey positioned similarly to Glue Soak from Bloons TD 5. The early Sniper Monkey portrait had its monkey point the gun barrel to the left (monkey's right) and closer towards the camera. Among the early placement costs, only Pat Fusty, Boomerang Monkey, and Tack Shooter had different early placement costs than their placement costs on release.

A square icon of Dart Monkey's portrait on a light blue background appeared as an early app icon for Bloons TD 6.

(Source: Reddit)