That sense of synergy with Marvel is something that’s existed in Contest of Champions since the beginning, with roster additions and in-game events reflecting major developments for Marvel’s other projects in film, television, and comic books. But the importance of the community built up around the game, constantly driving its renewed success with every update is something that its developers maintain clear sight of. If there’s any secret to why we’re still talking about and playing Contest of Champions more than the vast majority of other mobile games, it’s how big a role the community plays in the ongoing developments surrounding the game’s updates.
“The community itself is a game team member,” explains principal creative writer Tyler Nicol. “The fact that they are there is the reason why we can keep building, growing, and establishing this 11-year career of a game. It’s because they’re there cheering and helping with us. That hand-in-hand relationship is unique.”
A Thriving and Growing Community
Community really is the name of the game when it comes to Marvel Contest of Champions, and the robust and excited attendance at this year’s Summoners Fest is clear evidence of that. There is a familiarity and genuine friendship between many of the attendees and the developers, something that’s grown and deepened over time. Several people currently working at Kabam started out as Contest of Champions players and fans, including Sim who started playing the game when it first launched.
“I’ve worked in other companies and know many different industry people, but the actual community leaders come join our company and we work together,” Sim shares. “Me and the Kabam team value the community a lot. Even internally, we have daily community sentiments shared. Weekly, we review what the community sentiments are – is it getting better or worse, why it’s getting better or worse, which parts they like. This is one of our very important processes.”
More than just the chance to celebrate Contest of Champions, events like Summoners Fest also give the developers the chance to see the game in an in-depth perspective that playtesting could never quite provide. Seeing dedicated fans who have mastered the gameplay mechanics in inventive ways from hours upon hours of practice helps the developers see the nuances of the game in a new light. This helps the developers plan how to build new Champions for the roster and other refinements that, in turn, offer fresh surprises to longtime players.
“Our players have taught us so much about the game,” admits RPG designer Stuart Urquhart. “Our players are responsible for so many interactions that they’ve discovered and that we’ve codified into actual rules. As that’s gone on, we’ve learned how to make more fun Champions. We also realize that our existing Champions still feel great, so we’ll go make and revisit them.”