How do you make a League of Legends-style game kids can play? Developers of Disney Melee Mania tell all.
In the two years since Apple Arcade launched, it’s collected over two hundred family-friendly games that are lighthearted takes on gameplay genres that are usually pretty intense. Its next game, Disney Melee Mania, seeks to do the same with the mobile battle arena (MOBA), essentially making a League of Legends -style game that kids can play with their favorite Disney and Pixar characters. While Pokémon Unite launched earlier this year with a simplified take on the venerable MOBA formula pitting teams of players against each other, Disney Melee Mania trims away even more systems to preserve the bare elements of competition. MOBA veterans may be aghast that Disney Melee Mania has no lanes, towers, computer-controlled minions, or even skill progression, but the result is the leanest version of the game type we’ve ever seen – which could be a perfect onramp for brand-new players to learn the genre. In other words, the next generation of League of Legends esports stars could take their first MOBA steps with Disney Melee Mania, and have fun playing their favorite Disney characters, too, when the game comes to Apple Arcade in December. But how do you throw Apple, Disney, and League of Legends in a blender and get a game that’s approachable for kids yet retains the competitive gameplay hooks MOBAs are known for? Mobile game studio Mighty Bear Games, makers of Disney Melee Mania, explained to TechRadar how it’s done – and why they decided to attempt the alchemical mix of so many seemingly incompatible things. Mighty Bear Games already had a good relationship with Apple after releasing their kid-friendly and food-themed battle royale game Butter Royale on Apple Arcade, as the studio’s Chief Growth Officer Benjamin Chevalier told TechRadar over email. “We’ve had a good working relationship with Apple creating Butter Royale, so when working on our next game, the opportunity to work with Disney as well came up and we couldn’t pass up on the chance to work with some of our favourite characters and IPs growing up,” Chevalier said.
