TheSummoners War: Sky Arenauniverse continues to grow and evolve, with the turn-based fantasy RPG recently reaching its 10th anniversary. Beginning as a mobile-only game in 2014 before launching on Steam earlier this year,the Summoners Waruniverse has also expanded with its sequels,Summoners War ChroniclesandSummoners War Lost Centuria. Over the last decade, theSummoners Warfranchise has collaborated with other IPs, includingSummoners War: Sky Arena’s crossover withStreet Fighter5and, more recently, characters fromThe Witcher 3: Wild Huntbecoming monsters in the game. There are also various projects in the works that look set to expand theSummoners Waruniverse even further, including webtoons, comics, and animations. WhileSummoners Waris celebrating the last 10 years, it’s also a franchise that plans on sticking around for a while longer yet, with hopes to reach another decade.
Game Rant recently had the opportunity to interviewSummoners War: Sky Arena’s Producer, Taehyong Kim, and Head of Business, Dongkyu Han. In addition to reflecting on the last 10 years and discussing the game’s anniversary plans, Kim and Han discussed the Summoners War universe and plans for the next five years and beyond.The following transcript has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Looking Back On 10 Years Of Summoners War
Q: ForSummoners War’s 10th anniversary, could you talk about some of the biggest moments over the last decade?
Kim:So many memories come to mind. The moment we finished and launched the game for the first time, the moment we worked hard to prepare a large-scale update and announced it to users through an offline event, the moment we stayed up all night responding to bugs and errors that occurred all over the world in the early days of the service, and the first time SWC was held. There are so many noteworthy moments, that it is impossible to choose just one. We’ve been giving service for a long time, ten years, and I believe we’ve formed many memories with our players.
Q. What can you recall about the game’s E3 2014 reveal?
Kim:I was quite apprehensive because it was my first time publishing a game after a long period of development. Actually, I didn’t expect it to be as successful as it is today. I believe we had a great desire for the game we worked so hard to create to be popular with as many people as possible.
Q. Can you discuss how you’ve kept players engaged over the last decade? What has been vital for keeping players coming back?
Kim:I believe it is most vital to be able to set clear objectives within the game.Summoners Warhas very powerful objectives, which I believe drives people to continue playing. Our game’s main objectives are enticing to players, such as desiring to collect nice Runes, summon and grow gorgeousMonsters, and win while fighting with other users in content such as Siege Battle and World Arena.
Summoners War’s 10 Year Anniversary Celebrations
Q. Are there any special in-game or personal out-of-game plans to celebrate this anniversary?
Han:To celebrate our 10th anniversary, we are hosting larger-scale activities both inside and outside the game.
First and foremost, I will talk about what happens inside the game. SUMMONER 10x10 FESTIVAL is now underway, with a total of ten festivals planned and six events already announced. Please look forward to the remaining four events, which offer diverse rewards throughout the year.
It may be difficult for new users to adjust to the 10-year difference, but in addition to the SUMMONER 10x10 FESTIVAL, we have expanded events for new users, created special shops, and enhanced rewards. We hope that, with these many events and benefits, new users can soon settle in and enjoySummoners War.
Outside the game, the 10th anniversary offline events are taking place around the world, including in Europe, Asia, North America, South America, and Southeast Asia. With so many experiences acquired over the last decade, I hope we can convey our gratitude to our users while also creating cherished memories offline.
Kim:I believe Mr. Han provided adequate explanations on the game’s particular plans for this year. Personally, I have no particular plans for this year’s anniversary, but I am working on updates and events for this year, as well as ideas for making the game more fascinating and exciting.
Han:Like Producer Kim, I don’t have any specific plans to celebrate the 10th anniversary. But I’m eager to hold the next four festivals with success so that Summoners can enjoySummoners Warin the second half of the year.
Q. If you had to sum up the past ten years briefly, how would you do so?
Kim:It would be true to say, ‘the highlight of my life.’ I feel that not only Com2uS, but all members that build and service the game have had a sense of success that is impossible to replicate in their lives. Receiving care and attention from so many players, as well as experiencing so many various things, allowed me to learn and improve significantly. I doubt I’ll ever have another encounter like this.
Future Plans For Summoners War
Q. With this decade of experience behind you, where do you see the game a year from now, 5 years from now, and another decade from now?
Kim:Our primary goal today and in the future is to continue to provide live services that are in sync with various changes. To have a fantastic 20th anniversary. Furthermore, by creating and developing more high-quality content under theSummoners WarIPin a variety of media and formats, we will establish a brand that everyone will recognize simply by hearing its name. TheSummoners WarIP has produced new genre games, and different projects based on theSummoners Waruniverse and story are in the works, including webtoons, comics, and animations.
Personally, I believeSummoners Waris no longer a game that can be created with the thoughts and decisions of one or two people. I imagine it as a game that is literally like a live being. To be honest, I don’t think I can foresee what will happen in five or ten years. Rather than building a broad vision for the next ten years and servicing the game live, we are currently focusing on how we can improve the existing game. We are focusing more on upgrading existing content and refining features that users find inconvenient. Rather than contemplating massive, game-changing adjustments, our current goal is to strengthen and grow what we have done effectively thus far.
Advice For New Players Starting Summoners War
Q. Knowing a game is 10 years old can be quite daunting for new players. What would you say to anyone looking to hop in now? What are the plans specifically for new players?
Han:First and foremost, if you enjoy classicturn-based RPGs,Summoners Waris a lot of fun to play. Despite the 10-year delay, we have improved events for new players to help them settle in, created a special shop, and enhanced rewards. We hope you can accessSummoners Warnow, on its tenth anniversary, and enjoy the pleasure.
It may be a specific scenario, but in addition to the Monster debate feature and strategy deck view feature, please check out the EVENT icon on the right side of the screen, and the game tutorials, events, and media content in the Media tab will be quite useful when playing the game.
Just a minor tip. Rune auto-engraving now includes a set setting function. It will be useful for rapidly equipping and playing the Runes of the desired set effect in the beginning.
Summoners War Current Content Plans And New-In Game Challenges
Q. Can you discuss your plans for new in-game challenges?
Kim:Our game is intended to be aclassic RPG. The difficulty level is severe, and you will occasionally have to manually play each turn. I believe this is a game that can provide you with a fantastic sense of success and enjoyment if you overcome the hurdles and clear the stage. However, as the service duration lengthened, it would become increasingly difficult to give the fun of a classic turn-based RPG. Following these concerns, we recently added the Challenge of Ascension content to provide Summoners a new and demanding experience. It would be great if Summoners could once again feel challenge and adventure inSummoners War, despite the high difficulty level.
Q. Can you briefly discuss or tease what the current pipeline for the game looks like?
Kim:No matter what, the most crucial aspect is to makeSummoners Wara more fascinating and enjoyable game. And content is the most critical factor in making the game fascinating. As a result, our goal is to bring immense satisfaction to the many users that play our game by upgrading existing content and introducing new ones. One of the main topics we are now discussing is how to improve the Siege Battle content. We are developing multiple updates to introduce diverse changes and provide users with fresh experiences that have been unavailable in a comparable format for an extended period.
We wish to improve the game by rearranging the victory point structure, upgrading rewards, and introducing strategic research functions, so that players who play the Siege Battle in depth have a more enjoyable experience. We will continue to listen to user feedback and make modifications based on internal evaluation. We are approaching new content with caution.
Summoners Warhas introduced a lot of new content over the last ten years, and there is already a lot to play. When creating new content, we were constantly thinking about what type of content would provide new entertainment without putting a fatigue on users.
We created a card game, GWENT, as a mini-game in this year’sThe Witcher 3collaboration, incorporatingSummoners Warcharactersto offer users a unique experience. Like this, we will continue to look at content updates that can lessen user fatigue while still providing new experiences. We believe that we will soon be able to introduce new content that we’ve been working on for a while.
Q. Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Kim:It’s been 18 years since I worked at Com2uS. I believe I’ve been working onSummoners Warfor well over half of that period. This game has been serviced for over ten years, and we’ve been able to create lasting memories with our users both online and offline. I believe that these events and memories will bring me immense delight and remain with me for the rest of my life. Thank you for always enjoying our game. We will continue to do our best to provide you the best game you will ever play.
Han:Personally, I believe that playingSummoners Warwas a genuinely valuable and grateful experience in my life. Thank you for being a long-timeSummoners War: Sky Arenaplayer. We were able to celebrate our tenth anniversary thanks to the Summoners, and we want to continue producing pleasant memories withSummoners War. We kindly ask for your continuous love and attention. Thank you!
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Summoners War: Sky Arenais available to play on PC and mobile.
