The 10-year anniversary of Minion Rush is upon us, with celebrations ahead for the hit mobile game.

Paris-based video games publisher Gameloft announced the news in collaboration with Illumination and Universal Games and Digital Platforms, promising exclusive in-game rewards like a brand-new Minion Phil, limited-time events, immersive challenges and more.

An in-game experience to honour Villain-Con Minion Blast, a real-world attraction soon to open at Universal Orlando Resort, is also planned - once again proving the utility of mobile games in promoting external products and services.

Minion on the Moon

Based on the popular Despicable Me IP, Minion Rush is a free-to-play running game with in-app purchases. It features the titular Minions, another invention from the Despicable Me franchise. When combining install numbers across Android, iOS and other supporting platforms, Minion Rush has surpassed one billion downloads in its 10 years; it was the first mobile game based on a movie IP to reach such a milestone.

As a part of the anniversary, Minions will seek to carve Despicable Me protagonist Gru’s face into the moon’s surface, and they will need players’ help to do so. Thus, players participating in the anniversary events will collect oxygen tanks, hammers, and the parts necessary to build a rocket and a laser.

Limited-time events will also include "globe-spanning banana collecting" throughout this year, across countries such as Indonesia, Mexico and Italy as part of the Minion Rush World Tour.

The game has received multiple awards in its decade on mobile, including the BAFTA Kids’ Vote Game Winner in 2013 and the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award for Favorite App in 2014. It was also nominated for Favorite Mobile Game at the 2016 Annual People's Choice Awards.

Minion Rush released 10 years ago in an incredibly different mobile gaming landscape. In an interview with Arcaea creator Anton Prydatko, he discussed changes in game development over the years from monetisation methods to screen aspect ratios.