For years, the Worms series has dominated its niche in the multiplayer space with its tried and true turn-based formula, but with the upcoming Worms Rumble, things are certainly changing. With real-time action, a new battle royale mode, a focus on cosmetic customization, and more, Worms Rumble is hoping to be the franchise’s first step into a new era, and we’ve certainly been curious to see how it all goes. Recently, we reached out to its developers at Team17 to learn more about it. You can read our conversation with lead designer Adam Findlay below.
"We have always asked the question- what would a real-time version of Worms look like and how would it play? This is the answer to that!"
The Worms series’ tried and true formula is one that many fans of the series have gotten a lot of mileage out of. What was behind the decision to take Worms Rumble in a completely different direction?
We have made turn-based Worms games for 25 years now, and I’m sure we will continue to make more in the future. With Worms Rumble we wanted to try something new out, we have always asked the question- what would a real-time version of Worms look like and how would it play? This is the answer to that!
How has the reception to the game been since it entered beta? How much impact, if any, has the feedback from the beta impacted development?
The beta is just a small slice of what the final game will be, and it has gone down really well with a lot of players. It is quite a departure from our main line of turn-based games in the series, but once people got into the beta and played it, they found the game to be a lot of fast, frantic fun! We received invaluable feedback from the beta and will be looking to incorporate some of it as we continue with development.
Can you talk about the weapons that will be available to players in the game, and what players can expect in terms of both quantity and variety?
We have only revealed a small selection of weapons available to players in the beta, players can expect more quantity and variety in the full game, with a mix of new weapons and returning favourites.
"We have only revealed a small selection of weapons available to players in the beta, players can expect more quantity and variety in the full game, with a mix of new weapons and returning favourites."
Given Worms Rumble’s real-time gameplay, what has your approach been to designing maps and weapons, and how has it differed from previous games?
The approach to designing maps for Worms Rumble has been significantly different to previous Worms games. We wanted to create a battle arena feeling, which allows slick, speedy movement throughout the levels, while providing interesting variety and strategy to combat.
What are your plans for Worms Rumble as far as post-launch support is concerned? Are new modes and maps on the cards?
We have plans in the works for post-launch and a desire to support the game with interesting updates and content, watch this space!
Given the inclusion of a battle royale mode, how did you land on capping players in any given map at 32? Is there a chance that that number is increased eventually, perhaps with bigger maps to support them?
We want the game’s battle royale mode to feel bite-sized, to have that one-more-game feeling. We wanted to keep the pace of the game faster than other battle royale games and think that the player count works perfectly for this alongside the maps we have created.
What is Worms Rumble’s approach to progression in terms of monetization? Are you looking into implementing a battle pass-style system?
One thing is for sure, and that’s Worms Rumble will not be in any way a pay-to-win game. We’re building the experience up to be enjoyed by newcomers and veterans of the series, and we’ll be talking more about the meta-game and levelling progression closer to launch.
"The approach to designing maps for Worms Rumble has been significantly different to previous Worms games. We wanted to create a battle arena feeling, which allows slick, speedy movement throughout the levels, while providing interesting variety and strategy to combat."
What should players expect from seasonal events? Is it a case of delivering new and varied content to the community on a regular basis?
We have a lot of things planned for the game at launch and post-launch, which we’ll be sharing closer to the time.
As a PlayStation console exclusive, how can players expect the game to leverage the console’s unique capabilities? For instance, how will the haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, and 3D audio come into play in the game?
We are of course looking to build various capabilities into the PlayStation 5 version of Worms Rumble, but it’s not something we’re quite ready to discuss. However, stay tuned over the months ahead.
