Azra Games CEO Mark Otero on betting $50m on UnGodly and building for iPhone Duo
- UnGodly will run at an uncapped frame rate of up to 120fps on the iPhone Duo.
- Azra Games founder and CEO Mark Otero says the game will also launch on more mainstream hardware, optimised to avoid feeling like a port.
The iPhone Duo recently launched on October 23rd as Apple’s entry into the foldable phones market, bringing a distinct screen size with multiple play options depending on orientation and fold.
The device was revealed this September, shown off during John Ternus' first keynote as Apple CEO, with specs including a 7.6-inch screen when folded out, a 5.4-inch outer display when closed and the same A20 Pro chip as the iPhone Pro models. Its outer display is wider than most existing foldable phone and is Apple’s largest iPhone display to date.
“Console-quality on mobile was the goal from day one. When we founded Azra back in 2022, the entire thesis was that mobile was finally ready for a true fourth-generation RPG.”Mark Otero
Some doubt foldables will go mainstream, and games designed too rigidly could end up letterboxed on the device, but there are also developers viewing this as an exciting step for mobile games. Now that the premium device is landing in tech zealots’ hands - provided they’re willing to pay $2,000 and up - users can finally begin to play games utilising the Duo’s unique screen.
Two games were showcased running on the Duo during last month’s Sunrise and Shine keynote: Azra Games’ UnGodly and Timi Studio Group’s Monster Hunter Outlanders, both launching soon.
We speak with Azra Games founder and CEO Mark Otero to find out more about UnGodly’s appearance in the presentation and what made the dark fantasy action RPG the right fit for a showcase, as well as development on the Duo and beyond.
"Console-quality on mobile was the goal from day one," Otero begins. "When we founded Azra back in 2022, the entire thesis was that mobile was finally ready for a true fourth-generation RPG, something that feels like a console game you can carry in your pocket.
"That conviction is years older than any specific device. So, when Apple showed UnGodly running on the iPhone 18 Pro Max and the new iPhone Duo, that wasn't us chasing new hardware.
"It validated a bet we made a long time ago. As I said at that launch, UnGodly was built to put console-like RPG experiences into players' pockets and this generation of iPhone hardware gives you the power of a modern console everywhere you go."
New hardware, new opportunities
UnGodly is a dark fantasy action RPG "built for people who actually want to play, not watch". Unlike many modern mobile titles, the game features no autoplay and no idle modes, rather prioritising real-time combat and character collection in a more traditional world.
Otero describes the upcoming title, launching November 11th, as a "boundary-pushing game" that thrives on the processors and form factors Apple’s new hardware offers. On the Duo and iPhone 18 Pro, it will run at an uncapped frame rate of up to 120fps.
He notes that Azra Games and Apple have built a "great relationship" in recent years - that Azra benefits from the strengths of Apple’s hardware, meanwhile "we can assume that Apple likes having new games that are able to make the most of these groundbreaking features".
He claims that Azra Games was unaware UnGodly would be featured in Apple’s showcase and that the entire team was "thrilled" to see it: "We were as surprised and honoured by the announcement as everyone else."
We ask whether designing a game with the iPhone Duo in mind means added complexity. Otero answers that it’s "very accessible for developers that already have native iPad experiences".
He assures that UnGodly will launch with full native ecosystem support on day one and notes that Azra is excited to take full advantage of the new hardware.
“This class of game costs over $50 million to build - a big increase from the $10m to $20m budgets we saw a generation ago.”Mark Otero
For example, Apple’s iOS 27 reacts to how a device is angled, folded or flipped, even including a partially folded state. UnGodly supports iOS 27 Auto Resizability, meaning players can continue to game seamlessly whether or not the Duo is closed. Apple also has new APIs for adapting apps to the two screens.
Otero thinks Apple is taking gaming "very seriously" across its whole ecosystem.
"We don’t have any insight into their future plans but we wouldn’t be surprised if you start hearing a lot more about how great Apple devices are for gaming."
UnGodly will run on older Apple hardware, too. It will also release on Android - in fact the game is currently in soft launch on the Play Store. The global launch on November 11th will span the two major mobile stores as well as PC, Mac and Apple Vision Pro, followed by a Galaxy Store and ONE Store release in December 2026.
"This is a free-to-play mobile game, and reaching the widest possible audience is the whole point, so it's built to scale," Otero explains.
"Most players worldwide are on Android, so if the mission is to get this experience to as many people as possible, building for Android from day one was never optional."
The game running on both Apple and Android hardware has been the plan since the start.
Years in the making
Before Azra Games, Otero’s credits include EA’s Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes. Since founding Azra in 2022, he’s spent the past four years working on UnGodly and says that in a sense, the game has been in development even longer: "The muscle memory is decades deep."
“This is a free-to-play mobile game, and reaching the widest possible audience is the whole point, so it's built to scale.”Mark Otero
It's being made in Unity as an "unapologetically classic dark fantasy" game, aiming for a feel that’s "a little dangerous". It features real-time combat, sees players command parties of four heroes called Primals and encourages combatants to swap between these heroes mid-battle to tap into elemental combinations.
"The world is Dunmiir, a shattered realm being consumed by something we call The Devouring. It's raw, it's brutal and the characters are shaped by that. This isn't a bright, anime-styled gacha," Otero expands.
"For me, this is the culmination of a thesis I've been chasing for years. I spent a decade in collectable-combat RPGs. I was the original designer on Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes and I believe we're entering the fourth generation of mobile RPGs. The first three generations were text, then 2D menus with auto-battle, then 3D with interactive battles.
"The fourth finally closes the gap between mobile and console: 3D real-time combat, the world itself as the interface and deep single-player PvE. That's the generation I think defines the next 10 to 15 years, and UnGodly is our shot at leading it."
The title has evolved considerably since 2022, even changing in concept and name. Throughout development, the key test has been: "Is it actually fun?"
Otero shares that it’s the maturing team and technology that ultimately led to UnGodly as it is today.
"This class of game costs over $50 million to build - a big increase from the $10m to $20m budgets we saw a generation ago - and carries a brutal learning curve on the free-to-play side. You don't get there by rushing."
Finally, Otero believes that advancements in technology - including foldables - are more beneficial for midcore than almost any other genre and that the depth such games are built upon "finally has room to breathe when you're not constrained to a single small screen".
UnGodly will launch on a range of hardware, some utilising the latest tech, others predating it and some more wholly unique. The game requires optimisation for each device, considering UI, controls and performance.
Ultimately, Otero’s goal is to make UnGodly feel intentionally built for each one, including the freshly unwrapped iPhone Duo.
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