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The Indian mobile gaming audience has yet another battle royale game, Underworld Gang Wars (UGW), that they can look forward to. The game is much more relatable to Indian players in terms of look and feel.
Developed by Mayhem Studios, the pre-registration for UGW is live, and the cinematic trailer for the battle royale game dropped a month ago, garnering over 17 million views.
In conversation with Sportskeeda Esports’s Debolina Banerjee, the CEO of Mayhem Studios, Ojas Vipat, discussed the vision behind the creation of UGW, the overwhelming response that the game has received so far, and more.
Vipat discusses the vision behind the creation of UGW and what it will offer its players
Q. Ojas, I would love to know more about the journey that you and your team at Mayhem Studios had when developing Underworld Gang Wars (UGW).
How did it all start? What were some of the biggest hurdles that you had to face during the entire development process?
Ojas: I grew up loving and playing games. Over the last few years, all of us have been tracking the growth of the industry and we believe that India is now becoming a hub, not just for games, but also for talent.
We have been waiting for a game that is much more local and relatable, so that is how the idea behind the creation of UGW came about. Since there are a lot of gaming enthusiasts who are looking for a similar vibe, we feel like we owe something to them.
We started exploring themes and we stumbled on to this evergreen theme, “underworld” and that was how UGW was born.
The biggest hurdle, by the way, has been the quest for talent. Even though India is a hub of talent, people who have built such high quality games and are able to live and breathe the vision that I have just talked about are very few. However, once the team is in place, our next challenge is to live up to the hype and expectations of the audience.
Q. With the pre-registrations for the title starting in May, the title has already received over 2 million pre-registrations for it as well as over 17 million views (and counting) on its cinematic trailer.
Needless to say, the response from the fans has been tremendous. How is the morale of the team surrounding this? Is there anything special you have in store for those who have pre-registered?
Ojas: To be honest, we have been very overwhelmed by the response. We know that this is something that people want as we share the same views, and the overall response has been fantastic!
It re-affirms the idea behind the creation of UGW and convinces us even more that the game has the potential to emerge into something that is sought after in the gaming world. MortaL, Sc0ut, and even Tanmay Bhat were really impressed with UGW and we are excited to bring this unique plot and characters to the audience soon.
We absolutely have something special planned for players who have pre-registered. With our in-game stuff, we have a special pack that includes the Retro Don Skin (which is our homage to Amitabh Bachchan and his Don era), and more.
Q. With the plot set in India, tell us a bit about the narrative style that you are looking to go for.
Ojas: We want to explore a realistic gameplay style that looks a bit more familiar. If one sees different locations on the map, they will be able to spot a place named Fort, that is inspired by the old forts of Rajasthan. Slums' location on the map is inspired by Dharavi.
We wanted to explore realistic aspects of India and wanted our characters to hail from contradictory backgrounds to set the stage for a fight that would take place between them. We respect the eclectic Indian culture, ideologies, and surroundings that we see around us.
We are determined to develop a game and a story that can provide the thrill of Bollywood rivalry that we see on screen.
Q. What were some of the inspirations that went into its making? What would you say has been the most influential aspect during its development phase?
Ojas: The most influential aspect has to be Bollywood. The kind of cinema, narrative, and story that we have seen is very close to our hearts. We have seen stories of love, crime, and horror, which have been a staple of the industry.
Our study revolved around creating a game that reflects what people perceive on a daily basis and what stories echo with them, and then convert it into a battle royale format. Hence, we have created UGW, an AAA game that is packed with action and interesting gameplay.
Q. Battle royales have been a staple for the Indian mobile video games and esports market. With the genre garnering a tremendous amount of success across multiple titles and platforms.
Apart from the theme and setting, what would set UGW apart from the likes of BGMI and Call of Duty Mobile who have been dominating the market for so long?
Ojas: India has played a lot of battle royale games, including the likes of BGMI, COD Mobile, Free Fire, and more. What we have to offer is a great plot with a great storyline in a battle royale format.
When one is playing, it is more or less the same experience, but the characters, the narrative, the map, the weapons will set us apart. We plan to take a more unique and differentiated route in the future, but right now I think we have to get there by building the existing game and matching the expectations of the audience with respect to battle royale.
Q. UGW is set to be an AAA game, but majority of the Indian audience have low-end phones that do not support high-end games. Do you have plans on releasing a lighter version?
Ojas: We do not want UGW to be very heavy on mobile devices since it would restrict a lot of players. We are trying as hard as we can for the game to be playable on most devices across the country. We do not want to restrict it to very high-end devices as we are aiming to serve the majority.
Q. With the launch date set for later this year, what are some of your expectations from the players themselves, and the reception that you are hoping for once the title officially drops on the Google Play Store?
Ojas: This is a very big shot in the arm for us and we are very happy with the attention that we have received so far. We want and hope that gamers and influencers will work with us to build the game they want.
This is a very bold and ambitious bet for us and for the country. It is a herculean task that cannot be handled by just a private company. We need the love and support of the community and to build UGW as they deserve.
Q. Talking about the esports side of things a bit. Is Mayhem Studios envisioning a professional circuit for the title as an eventuality in its lifespan? Or will it cater towards a more casual experience for players?
Ojas: Right now, we are focused towards building a great game and we want to provide an experience that works really well. I think it is too early to talk about esports with respect to UGW, but it is not like we do not want to do it.
Esports is really is one of the key reasons why the existing games have been successful and we will eventually reach there. However, right now it is too early.
Q. While UGW is yet to have an official release window, are you looking to launch soon?
Ojas: Not right now! There is a lot of work and tests that have to be done to get there. We do not want to make promises and then later on realize that we need more time. We want to do it right, we want to take our time. So, whenever we get the confidence, we will surely announce a date!
