Supercell recently announced that its current soft launch game, Squad Busters, will be launched globally on May 29th - a significant moment for a studio prone to killing games in the soft launch phase.
Squad Busters will be the studio's sixth game, following Clash Royale and Brawl Stars, which have surpassed $1 billion in lifetime gross revenue.
So, with the next potential billion-dollar Supercell game heading toward its release, we reached out to the gaming community what they think of the game.
For more on Squad Busters check out part one of our industry insights on the latest Supercell title.
Chris Wilson was the marketing manager for Helsinki-based developer Futureplay Games and is now head of Marketing at Metaplay
We’ve been on tenterhooks waiting for news of the next Supercell global launch for a while now, so it’s very fitting that it’s come in a form that feels like a celebration of everything they’ve released.
Bringing all of their IPs together for a collab like this certainly promises fun, and the game doesn’t let us down in that regard. Squad Busters, to me, feels a step more towards an arcade direction than any of their previous games - with short, adrenaline-fuelled bursts of fast-paced, single-stick-controlled gameplay that’s perhaps indicative of what’s needed to achieve success in today’s ultra-competitive environment - casual hooks with mass-market appeal, and later on, strong monetisation possibilities.
Supercell long-timers will enjoy reconnecting with their favourite characters in a more reimagined, accessible style. At first play, the game looks like it could well have the pull to draw previously untapped audiences into the Supercell world via a refreshing, lighter game and game universe.
From what I’ve heard, the level of polish is incredible. I’m a casual gamer and a huge Clash Royale fan (hog rideeeeer!), so this gameplay and art style is super appealing to me. From what I’ve seen so far, it looks simple on the surface, but knowing Supercell will have plenty of depth.
I know this game has been in soft launch for a while, so I’m keen to explore what systems they’ve landed on and witness the visual fidelity. Supercell always excels in the last 10% with their polish, and I love how each new game teaches the industry something new.
Making and killing games is hard on creative peoplePaul West
I think this is great for the Supercell troops! Making and killing games is hard on creative people, and these world-class artists/analysts/programmers/PMs/designers (and more) deserve the thrill of shipping and letting the public see their creations.
I’m sure Supercell is as excited/petrified of a global launch as all other game studios. They’re one of the greatest and haven’t launched a game in a long time, and that’s what’s so exciting here. The fact that they feel good enough to push the release button here means something very special is coming.
I haven’t played yet, but I expect Squad Busters to deliver the highly engaging experience, intuitive mechanics and polish that we demand from Supercell. It’s great to see that they’ve added an extra layer of social interaction to the battle mechanics with animated emojis. Self-expression tools like emojis and emotes are key to retaining users in this market.
After five years since its last launch, I’m sure there was at least some level of apprehension at Supercell, but 12 million pre-registrations (and rapidly climbing) will have fixed that!
I recently had the chance to play a few rounds of Squad Busters at the WASD event in London. I’d not seen any gameplay before but Agar.IO wasn’t the comparison I was expecting. A surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one!
In the 15 minutes I played, I couldn’t fully understand all the abilities and character types on offer, but the general instruction to ‘collect gems and grow your team’ was easy enough to follow. If the popularity of Squad Busters’ Booth on the show floor is anything to go by, I think the game is in for a promising future. I’ll certainly be downloading it at launch.
The line-up of Supercell’s most iconic characters will be great for potential cross-promotionAlexandre Besenval
I love Squad Busters so far. The gameplay is snappy and takes influences from a range of genres, from MOBAs to hypercasual games, and has an arcade-like feel that is easy to get into.
The game sessions involve interesting decision-making, with very cool climax moments at the end of the matches. The game's whole "battle party game" vibe and its progression systems make Squad Busters even more accessible than Brawl Stars or Clash Royale, likely appealing to a wider and younger audience.
Additionally, it will enable innovative monetisation possibilities, such as the battle items and mega units, without seeming unfair when used. Last but not least, the game's top-notch production value and the line-up of Supercell’s most iconic characters will be great for potential cross-promotion between titles and user acquisition in general. Let's hope Squad Busters is as successful as its predecessors. Good job to the teams at Supercell!
