Interview: Vadym, Mech Arena's Game Director, reveals the details on upcoming Law and Disorder event

Christmas is vastly approaching, which can only mean one thing. No, nothing about Santa, presents and copious amounts of food. Mech Arena is about to launch its year winter event, which brings new mechs, maps and skins among goodies. We recently spoke to Game Director Vadym about Law and Disorder, alongside discussing the popular multiplayer shooter more generally.

Can you introduce yourself and your role on Mech Arena to our readers, please?

I’m Vadym, a Game Director on Mech Arena, focusing on the creative vision of the game and the development of the project. My goal is to balance the players' needs with the team's creative ambitions and business objectives.

I’ve dedicated over 15 years to the gaming industry and have been with Plarium for 10 of them. I’m a loving husband and father to a two-year-old daughter. I collect retro gaming consoles, enjoy painting miniatures, and love playing guitar, but my greatest passion is games.

Mech Arena was first released in 2021 and has since been downloaded over 80 million times. Has this met or exceeded your expectations? While that's a staggering number, you also have the popular Raid Shadow Legends on your books.

Mech Arena's success has absolutely exceeded our expectations, with over 80 million players joining the mech circuit since its 2021 launch. The game’s accessibility, competitive spirit, and exciting customization options have resonated with players worldwide. Our goal was to bring the energy of professional sports into a mobile game that’s both fun and strategic for players of all skill levels, and the global response has been incredible.

What’s especially rewarding is seeing our community’s creativity and passion—from unique mech customization to innovative strategies, and engaging rivalries. 

While RAID: Shadow Legends is a cornerstone of our portfolio with its immersive RPG experience, Mech Arena offers something distinctly different that has carved its own space. The variety allows us to reach different audiences and deliver unique experiences.

The journey doesn’t stop here. We’re continuously evolving Mech Arena to ensure it remains the go-to choice for competitive mobile gamers everywhere. Mech Arena is a growing phenomenon, and I'm incredibly excited about the journey ahead!

Since release, what are the most impactful changes you have made to the game?

One of the most significant changes was the introduction of the PvE mode. This feature was highly anticipated both by our player community and within our development team. We started small, iteratively adding new features and evolving the mode over time. With each new campaign, we introduced new mechanics and experimented with various approaches to creating engaging gameplay experiences. Some campaigns focused on a fast-paced, tactical experience, while others emphasized strategic gameplay. Next year will mark a fundamentally new stage in the development of the PvE mode, which will be entirely new and exciting.

Beyond PvE, introducing new mechs or weapons always has a significant impact on the game because this content directly affects battles. At launch, we had only one legendary mech and one legendary weapon. Now, we have over 18 mechs and even more weapon types. Not only does all of this content feature unique mechanics and abilities, but it can be combined to create unexpected synergies - enhancing the interplay between your mechs in the hangar and with other players.

The Mech Arena team has done a tremendous job evolving their approach to design and development over time, allowing us to deliver increasingly complex and engaging content that keeps players entertained.

But the most exciting part is still ahead.

How important is player feedback when it comes to adding or changing content?

Player feedback is at the heart of everything we do with Mech Arena. From the start, we envisioned the game as a living, evolving experience shaped by both our creative vision and the voices of our players. Their input drives meaningful changes, whether it's fine-tuning game balance, introducing new features, or designing fresh content that resonates with their preferences.

The passion and creativity of our community inspire us daily. We've seen this in the enthusiasm for new customization options, the discussions about strategies, and the requests that led to game-changing updates like the Gear Hub. Our community team plays a critical role in fostering this connection, serving as a bridge between players and developers to ensure that feedback is heard and addressed.

Additionally, our dev vlog has become a fantastic tool for staying open and transparent with players. It not only allows us to share behind-the-scenes insights into our development process but also serves as a valuable platform for collecting feedback and impressions directly from the community. This dialogue is a huge part of what keeps the game dynamic and ensures it remains a top choice for competitive gamers worldwide. We’re deeply invested in continuing this collaboration as Mech Arena grows into its next exciting chapter.

What do you think Mech Arena brings to the table that makes it stand out from the crowd? 

What makes Mech Arena truly unique is its combination of fast-paced, accessible 5v5 battles with a deep level of customization and strategy. We built this game specifically for players to jump in and out at a moment's notice but also give them so many options to create a customized mech hangar all their own. Unlike other shooters, Mech Arena focuses on sports-driven competition rather than dark, warlike themes.

The mechs are like customizable Formula 1 cars, where players have full control over weapons, skins, and abilities to create their ideal combatant. The game blends intense team-based strategy with a welcoming, competitive environment, allowing players of all skill levels to jump in and immediately compete. With exciting global esports potential and a focus on collaboration, Mech Arena is a game where teamwork and personalized tactics shine in a fun, bright world of mech mayhem.

If one of our readers decides to start playing after reading this interview and you could only give them one tip, what would it be?

If you're just starting with Mech Arena, my number one tip is to experiment with different mech and weapon combinations to find what best suits your playstyle. The game offers a wealth of customization options and your success in battle hinges on how well you can adapt and strategize. Don’t be afraid to tweak your setup - whether you prefer long-range firepower or close-quarters combat, the right combination can make all the difference. And remember, practice makes perfect! The more you play, the better you’ll understand the intricacies of each mech and map which gives you a competitive edge in the arena.

Mech Arena will host its biggest winter event beginning today, how long will it last?

Our winter event Law and Disorder runs through February and is broken up into three, month-long stages. Each one is jam-packed with new free and premium content added weekly including new mechs, multiplayer tournaments, weapons and maps. The first stage is now through December 31st, followed by the Lunar New Year in January and Valentine's Day in February. The event structure aims to create a sense of seasonal excitement for the community.

What can we expect in Law and Disorder? Any new maps and mechs? Will we get our hands on some “free goodies?”

Law and Disorder follows a rich, new sub-storyline in which Silva Industries (the shady mega-corporation at the centre of Mecha Arena) faces off against the Freedom Fighters, a new rebellious group. As righteous indignation turns to violence, the city becomes swept up in their conflict.

Players can earn over 75 rewards across these three months, including new mechs, maps, skins, and more exclusive content. Our reward system is unique and player-friendly compared to other F2P games because each reward you earn gets permanently removed from the prize pool. This means every time you complete an activity or objective, you have better odds of winning the game's biggest rewards since you'll never receive duplicates.

We’re launching Law and Disorder with two Crate Rush events showcasing our brand new Mech, Salvor, and a new Rocketeer weapon type. Players can participate in our Playoff Event to earn top rewards, including a free Legendary Skin for Blockhorn, by completing objectives and climbing the match leaderboard. Our Derby Event allows you to win free event tokens that players can use toward unlocking Salvor.

Later in December, players can compete in a Free-for-all tournament on our brand new Christmas-themed map, followed by another Playoff event where players can earn a new weapon weight and a skin for our Mech, Eclipse. Additional Crate Rush events will introduce another new weapon weight and weapon type. As a special New Year’s celebration, players can redeem a promo code to unlock a new skin for our fan-favourite Mech, Killshot!

It’s really exciting for players when we introduce a new weapon type because it dramatically alters the strategy of their mech selection and approach to battle. Having two in one month will be a thrill.

Beyond the upcoming events, what can we expect from Mech Arena in 2025?

Every year, we focus on different goals that guide our roadmap of new Mech Arena features. Next year, we’ll dedicate significant attention to player engagement and retention. This will include everything from small quality-of-life features to enhancements for clans and new game modes that could greatly diversify the Mech Arena experience. We’re preparing exciting updates for both competitive PvP enthusiasts and players who enjoy the PvE experience. Join the Mech Arena family and embark on an exciting journey alongside millions of players!