Arena of Valor Devs Talk Strategy, Nintendo Switch, and Esports

The Arena of Valorr Closed Beta made a major impact on the Nintendo Switch, with players by the boatload getting a chance to test drive the console’s first major MOBA. After all was said and done we got a chance to talk with some developers at Tencent’s Timi Studios, and they’ve shed some light on their approach to developing for Switch, including guest characters, and what they expect for the esports side of the game on the Switch.

We asked the team what about Nintendo’s portable console appealed most to the team for development purposes, and they were pretty clear in their response: for them, it’s a perfect fit. “The Nintendo Switch is the fastest selling console of all-time. Arena of Valor is the most popular mobile game in the world. Bringing AoV to Switch represents a perfect marriage and opportunity between hardware and software partners that our community will reap all the benefits of.”

That may seem boastful, but the numbers don’t lie: the Switch has sold 17.79 million consoles as of March 31, 2018, while Arena of Valor at one point had to self-impose time limits on its players due to the Chinese people considering it a health hazard. AoV was once reported to have 70 million active players and 200 million registered users, the kind of numbers Nintendo dreams about.

What is it about Arena of Valor that’s drawn so many players to it? We asked the devs straight up to explain it, and they broke it down into four main tenants. “”As one of the most player and community-based MOBA games, we carefully engage our community to lead: 1) Hero balance optimization via regional/global basis data input; 2) testing & learning new game modes; 3) renewing battlefield & map design; and 4) establishing a mobile esports tournament system. Learning from the successful King of Glory China operation experience, and with Arena of Valor's global player insights, we strongly believe AoV has the potential to continue to be a leader in the MOBA world.” That is about as detailed a response as one can get to that question, and it proves Tencent knows what they’re doing in this space.

The studio has plans to maximize that popularity with a massive esports push, seeing the viability of the console in the esports scene. “With Nintendo Switch's excellent mobility and competitive physical joystick control system, we believe there's huge potential in the esports arena,” the devs said. “AoV has already proven itself to be one of the most competitive esports games in the world, so we have the opportunity to cultivate a competitive esports ecosystem on Switch if that's where the population is gravitating toward.”

Part of making the game work on Switch could be the ability to play across platforms, with mobile players being able to join up with their friends on Switch and any future consoles AoV may appear on. While the devs we spoke to are aware of the desire for cross-play, in AoV’s case they’re not committing to anything yet.

“We haven't drawn the conclusion on Switch and mobile platform cross-play function[ality] yet,” the devs revealed. “At the current CBT (closed beta test) stages, Arena of Valor Switch’s main aim is to incorporate the infrastructure from the mobile version to ensure a smooth and enjoyable gameplay experience for both new players as well as extremely experienced MOBA veterans.” That doesn’t mean we should discount cross-play yet, but it’s not going to be atop the priority list for the time being.

Finally, we asked the team what tips they would give to new players starting out, people just getting their feet wet not only in Arena of Valor but in MOBAs in general. They gave us two simple things to remember: make sure to always hit and run, and for the advanced crowd allow three to five minutes of “fast farming” to ensure that you’ll be the first player with a full Battle Suit and the edge in the game will be yours. It’s not often that developers can give strategy tips like this directly to the player, so heed this advice if you plan to step into the game.

Arena of Valor is out of the Closed Beta stage and quickly moving toward the full Nintendo Switch release. The Tencent Timi dev team members we spoke to about the game know full well what they’re capable of and what their game can do on and for the Switch. AoV might not be the newest MOBA on the market, but with a strategy like this it could ascend to the top of the mountain in no time.

If you want to check out Arena of Valor for yourself but don't know how to start, we have a guide for you right here. If you want to see the best AoV players in the world clash on a a grand stage, click here to find out how to watch the 2018 Arena of Valor World Cup coming later this month.