With the release of their 5v5 mode, the ultra-popular mobile game Vainglory has changed the face of mobile multiplayer battle-arena games. Since then, Vainglory (VG) has continued to up its game – so to speak – with even more updates in May.
The latest 3.3 version, boasts a Joystick control and Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) feature, which caused all sorts of excitement throughout the VG community and among multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) players. This key update drew a lot of attention from Chinese media, which is why the three co-founders of Super Evil Megacorp (SEMC) sat down for an interview earlier this week.
Kristian Segerstrale (CEO), Stephan Sherman (Co-founder & CCO) and Tommy Krul (Co-founder & CTO) answered all sorts of questions about the latest 3.3 update, the esports environment in China and the upcoming promotion for Vainglory.
How does SEMC feel about the esports industry in China? What’s the difference between esports in China and the rest of the world?
The esports market in China is quite big. In recent years, China’s esports market has grown fast and is becoming very competitive, especially in the field of commercialized promotion with franchises and sponsorship.
What is the core competence of Vainglory? How will you improve it?
The core competence of Vainglory consists of three main parts: the game engine to provide exquisite graphics and smooth control, the strategic and tactical MOBA design and a super cohesive community. As for how to improve the core competence, we will keep optimizing and refining this game. Moreover, we have and will continue listening to the community, which is very important to us.
After the release of the Joystick feature in the 3.3 version, how does SEMC find the balance between old and new players?
At the very beginning, our original intention was to design a perfect MOBA game for players who play on mobile devices with a big screen – like a tablet. But now, we notice that many people prefer playing games on mobile phones that have small screens. So the Joystick will be a good choice for them to play VG. We aren’t focused on whether the Joystick will reduce the difficulty of control or not. We are committed to keeping the fairness between the two kinds of controls and letting the players choose the most suitable control mode for them.
Will the Joystick be added into the professional league?
Yes, you can choose to use the Joystick in casual, everyday matches and formal pro-league competitions at some point in the future. Since this feature is still in a testing phase, we will collect the feedback from the community and spare no effort to make the Joystick more precise for a better gaming experience.
Is the 3.3 version prepared for the next important update: Summer Launch?
Yes, this version is a warmup for our next Summer Launch.
We also noticed that there were many testing features in 3.3. For example, the voice chat feature. Is this feature intended to increase the sociability of VG?
Actually Vainglory had social features before. We have recently added the chat feature in the draft lobby and leader board system for players to compare rankings with friends. We will release more social features gradually in future updates.
After the 3.3 update, are you concerned about the feedback of current players?
Based on the situation after the 3.3 release, the feedback from the community is mostly positive. We are very glad to hear player’s voices and invite new players to try our game. We have seen an obvious upsurge of new players based on the performance on platforms like TapTap.
Will the frequency of releasing new content be changed along with the release of 5v5 mode, like new heroes and a new gameplay mode? And have you considered adding some Chinese-inspired heroes?
We will keep updating new content. We are constantly looking to balance the speed at which we release heroes, considering the quality and depth of strategy of heroes. Moving forward we do intend to increase the number of heroes released per year. We have a few heroes already that we hope our Chinese players love and are inspired by Chinese culture, and we would love to make more in the future. We will also design new features in the following updates, which you can enjoy part of them at our Summer Launch in June.
Will there be a big promotion for VG in the Chinese market?
Yes, we will have a prominent Summer Update in June and have been designing the promotion plan recently. Please stay tuned! We will bring you an eye-catching Vainglory.
Many MOBA games have their own slogans. How would you describe the current version of Vainglory?
I think, the most appropriate one should be 'Joystick, finally comes to China.' Chinese players have been waiting for a long time!
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