We at Droid Gamers have been trying to lock down an interview with Goat Games ever since Dungeon Hunter 6 was first announced. It’s incredibly exciting that the long-running action RPG is making a return, particularly in light of the recent launch of Diablo Immortal, which has since taken the action RPG crown on mobile.
Finally, at Gamescom, we got that chance. I sat down with Goat Games’ Co-Founder, Machine Ma, to discuss Dungeon Hunter 6 in detail. I was particularly keen to learn more about why the series is making a comeback, how it will compete with Diablo Immortal, and, perhaps most importantly, what the monetisation plans are.
But before we move onto that, a little history lesson for those that don’t know about Dungeon Hunter. The series is almost as old as smartphone gaming itself. In fact, it predates Google Play by three whole years.
It arrived in 2009, just a year after the launch of the iPhone and the App Store, and provided a Diablo-like experience that you could take with you on-the-go. It has since spawned five sequels, four of which are numbered entries, and Champions, a gacha RPG spin-off.
And now, eight years following the release of Dungeon Hunter 5, Goat Games is resurrecting the series with the help of its publisher, and former developer, Gameloft. It introduces new playable classes, the lieutenants system, which is, effectively, unlockable pets, and a new story, explorable areas, and more.
You can pre-register for Dungeon Hunter 6 right now on the official site or Google Play. Read on to learn more about the upcoming game in our exclusive interview with Goat Games.
Dungeon Hunter 6 Interview With Goat Games
Glen: “Do you mind introducing yourself and detailing your position at Goat Games?”
Machine: “I’m Machine, the Co-Founder at Goat Games and also acting as the Publishing Producer on Dungeon Hunter 6.”
Glen: “What would you say the biggest difference is between Dungeon Hunter 5 and 6?”
Machine: “Dungeon Hunter 5 arrived 8 or 9 years ago, right? I think the whole industry has changed a lot in all of those years. I think the quality and graphics have to be top notch nowadays.
“Also, we want to satisfy the longterm fans of this franchise by bringing back these hack and slash memories. For us, we see Dungeon Hunter as one of the forefathers that defined the mobile platform. We want to bring that feeling back.
“We’re also adding more classes and the lieutenant system, which adds a lot more diversity to the players. I think both longterm fans and newcomers will love Dungeon Hunter 6.”
The Elephant in the Room: Diablo Immortal
Glen: “Diablo Immortal came out about a year ago, and it’s dominating the mobile space at the moment. How did you differentiate Dungeon Hunter 6?”
Machine: “I don’t think I can comment on other games. I think the most important thing is to listen to your players and get feedback.
“That’s the reason why we’re here (at Gamescom) to get the demo out and see how players react to this game. To get the feedback. Then, when we get back home we can make some modifications.”
Glen: “How are you monetising the game? Is it with cosmetics?”
Machine: “First of all, we want to achieve a balance between free and premium players. We don’t have a paywall in this game, so all of the content is playable regardless of whether you play or not.
“We have systems that allow you to buy skins to make your character unique. And also, you can buy lieutenants.
“Overall, I want to say that balancing monetisation and gameplay is not easy. So, we’re going to run some tests. Actually, we’ve run some in closed beta to see how the players react.
“We’re going to keep trying to get a perfect balance.”
Can Dungeon Hunter 6 Last as Long as 5?
Glen: “Dungeon Hunter 5 is still getting updates eight years after launch. Do you plan to run Dungeon Hunter 6 for a similar length of time?”
Machine: “Dungeon Hunter 5 is run by Gameloft, right? I don’t know what their plan is. For Dungeon Hunter 6, we plan to run it for the longterm. There will definitely be more new content following release.
“Right now, you can see at Gamescom you can play four classes. By the date we release, we could have one or two more classes.
“By bringing more updates, we will add more events, gameplay, and classes to the game.”
