You’ve probably already heard about Cues With Powers coming to 8 Ball Pool – in this blog post, we lift the lid on this big upgrade to the game, to tell you everything you need to know.
UPDATE: Cues with powers is out now on mobile! Get it on Android and iOS!
Cues With Powers will be released as an update on mobile first, with the web version of the game getting the upgrade soon after.
Blog Update: 1st September 2014
Thanks for all your feedback on this post so far! We wanted to address a couple of points that have come up in the comments section, with an update to the original blog post. First of all…
What if I don’t want to use a powered cue?
If you’re worried that all those hours of practice might suddenly go to waste, don’t be! The Standard Cue has the same attributes as the cues you’re used to. It’s also free for all existing players. So, if you don’t want to try one of the upgraded cues, the Standard Cue is the one for you.
Of course, you may still be playing against players who are using higher-powered cues than the Standard one. This brings us onto the second thing we wanted to clarify…
You’ll still need skill to be the best
We understand some of the concerns that players who have premium cues might have a big advantage over those who don’t. Keeping the game balanced has been a big priority for us for exactly this reason. So while some cues do allow you to hit the ball harder, or with more spin, you’ll still need skill to take advantage of those attributes.
We’re not talking about cues suddenly having the power to magically hit the balls into the pockets, or automatically spin the cueball perfectly into position for your next shot. It also doesn’t mean that inexperienced players will simply be able to buy a premium cue and beat more skilled players. You’ll still need ability, skill and practice to be a top 8 Ball Pool player 
Different cues have different strengths and weaknesses – it’s about finding the right one to suit your play style.
What are Cues With Powers?
Ever wished your cue had greater shot strength, or could put even more spin on the ball than normal? How about when you’re on the black, and you want just a little more time to line up the winning shot? Cues With Powers will allow you to do all this and more – you’ll be able to take your game to the next level.
It’ll also add even more depth and strategy to 8 Ball Pool: we’ll be reintroducing the ability to switch your cues during games, allowing you to choose a cue for specific situations.
Each cue will have 4 different attributes:
1) Spin – this is the amount of spin you can put on your shot
2) Force - how hard you can hit the cueball
3) Aim – this determines the length of your aim-line when taking a shot
4) Time – this determines how much time you have to take your shot
Of course, there’s no insta-win cue – you’re still going to need skill to win! But it does mean that some will be better suited for certain situations. You may want to use a Force cue to try and pot more balls off the break, or you may decide that a cue with a better Aim will help you make a game-winning shot into the middle pocket.
How will this affect the cues I already own?
You’ll keep all your existing cues, of course. But we’re also giving a free upgrade to every player who already owns a cue with attributes that are higher than the standard cue.
This update is automatic – if you own a cue already, you’ll find the upgraded version of the cue in your collection and ready to go as soon as we update the game.
All the cues
As well as upgrading the cues that are in the game at the moment, we’re also adding OVER EIGHTY new cues! Our personal favorites so far are the Shark, Galaxy, Titan and Sheriff cue, and we’ll bring you a closer look at all the other new ones in another blog post soon.
Oh, we’re also including a load of new country cues, including the Philippines, Algeria, Morocco, and Saudi Arabia. Get ready to play some patriotic pool!
Don’t forget – you can switch cue at any time, even during a game.
We’re introducing LOTS of new cues to the game.
What about existing boosts?
The existing boosts – the spin, aim and power boosts that you can buy in the shop – are no longer going to be part of 8 Ball Pool. You’ve still got a few weeks to use up the ones you have at the moment, before Cues With Powers arrive in the game. We recommend you use them up before the update!
Playing on mobile
Cues With Powers is coming to mobile first, then the web version of the game soon after. Remember, if you’re playing on web or Facebook you can only play against other players also on web or Facebook, so you won’t be going up against players who are playing on mobile who already have the update.
Charge your cue for maximum benefit
Every cue has a maximum charge of 50 shots, although you can recharge it at any time with Pool Coins. You can also set it to auto-recharge, so you never have to break up your flow during a game. You can play on with an uncharged cue, but its attributes will be lower than normal. Auto-recharge is set to ON by default: you can change this easily by tapping on one of your cues and setting auto-recharge to OFF.
Remember, if you do run out of charge during a game and don’t want to charge up, you can always switch to another cue in your collection mid-game.
How to turn off auto-recharge
Cues are set to auto-recharge automatically – but you can turn this off easily! Just go to the Owned section of the Shop, tap on the cue, and slide the Auto Recharge button to red – as shown in the picture below.
Now, when your cue runs out of charge, you’ll be prompted to recharge it – but you can just cancel that any carry on playing with an uncharged cue, or switch to a different one.
Get Pool Cash with the update
The update will also add 2 Pool Cash to your balance to get you started with some of those new cues 
More news soon
We’ll bring you a close look at all the new cues, plus all the latest news on Cues With Powers, over the next few weeks as we get closer to launch. Don’t forget to check out our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter for your daily dose of all things 8 Ball Pool.