Galaxy of Heroes community is one of its “three guiding pillars”

Ten years ago, in a studio far, far away, Capital Games decided to embark on an adventure, bringing one of the world’s most beloved franchises to the small screen. I’m, of course, talking about Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes. The mobile game is a decade old and remains popular, boasting a strong community; that’s something to celebrate. Not every mobile game reaches such a milestone, you know.

As such, we jumped at the chance to speak with Caley Roberts, the lead producer at Capital Games. We discuss what you, the players, can expect as part of the tenth anniversary celebrations, how the game remains relevant, and the importance of the community in maintaining the success of Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes. Spoiler alert: you guys are extremely important.

So, what are you waiting for? Grab some blue milk, pull up a chair, and join us for a chat with the team behind one of the best Star Wars games.

Pocket Tactics: First of all, congratulations on the ten-year anniversary. Can you tell us a bit about what players have to look forward to during the celebration?

Caley Roberts: Thank you! We’re really proud of what we’ve accomplished thus far, and there’s a lot to be excited about in our 10-year update.

For one, we’re introducing The Coliseum, which is a brand new game mode that brings a daily rotating roster of bosses like a Pirate AT-ST and a Jotaz to name a couple. We’re also dropping new versions of some of the most iconic and nostalgic Star Wars™ characters – from Stormtrooper Luke, Vader with his broken mask, and a Chewie and Yoda combo unit. Additionally, we’re restructuring our Seasonality to make the game more accessible and create an even playing field for all players.

The mobile gaming industry has changed a lot over the last ten years. How do you think Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes has managed to stay relevant and successful?

The key to the game’s longevity is our world-class team’s passion for the franchise. We’re all Star Wars fans, and each update allows us to celebrate the franchise with the content we bring to the game. Additionally, listening to our community and implementing their feedback every step of the way ensures we’re giving players the game and content they’ll enjoy. We also have a great partnership with Lucasfilm Games that allows us to add the best version of the content into the game for a more immersive gameplay experience.

Looking back on the last ten years of development, what was the most difficult chapter behind the scenes, and why?

I think every chapter that resulted in a big reinvention of Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes was difficult in some ways, and one of those happens every three years or so. The latest one was to challenge ourselves to build a new Seasonality system that focuses on a rich Era experience every three months, enabling both newcomers and veterans to restart with an even playing field to embark on a new adventure in the Star Wars universe.

Given that Galaxy of Heroes has been around for a decade, has it become any more difficult to make the game feel both welcoming for new players and fresh enough for those who have stuck around since the beginning?

We strive to keep existing players entertained while still inviting newcomers, and that’s exactly why we focused on building the new Era system: balancing the welcome experience for new players and our loyal Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes fans.

Of all the new Star Wars media to arrive since the launch of Galaxy of Heroes, which film, series, or other media did you find most inspiring when developing new in-game content?

Different members of the team are fans of different movies, series, or games in the rich, almost 50-year history of the Star Wars franchise. On my end, I still remember the first time watching the original trilogy with my family in the ’80s. But for some of the younger players of Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes or team members, it’s all about the Episode I-III or The Mandalorian.

With the arrival of The Mandalorian & Grogu movie and Maul: Shadow Lord series in the next year, is there any in-game content in the pipeline you can share with us?

As a huge Star Wars fan, I’m excited for these releases on a personal level. Of course we love integrating new Star Wars content into our game, but there’s nothing to share at this time.

With the game’s Reddit having more than 90k weekly visitors, how important a role do you think the community has played in Galaxy of Heroes’ continued success?

The community is 100% one of our three guiding pillars, and their passion, feedback, and support for each other are huge drivers for the game’s continued success. From teaming up in the game for new adventures to creating guides and helpful content to help new players navigate the rich Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes experience, we’re grateful to have their support on this journey.

Are there any Star Wars characters or settings that you’ve always wanted to work into the game but have never found a place for?

We want to explore more of the amazing lore from the Jedi games series from our friends over at Respawn. We did our first Jedi-inspired event in early March this year around Cal Kestis, but we definitely want to explore more of this rich universe.

On a personal note, can you tell us about your passion for Star Wars and what it’s meant to you to work on a game that explores the universe in such depth?

Well, I missed the original launch of Star Wars: A New Hope by a year; I was busy being born. When The Empire Strikes Back came out, I waited in my dad’s arms in a three-hour line to watch it. I was enamored with the entire story – the ships, the characters, and the settings all spoke to me. I have always been fascinated by this franchise, especially the spaceships! When I had the opportunity to join Capital Games and work on Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes, it was like a dream come true.

Finally, if you can look to the future, where would you like to see Galaxy of Heroes in another decade from now?

We will be welcoming the 3rd generation of Star Wars fans as the franchise reaches its 60th anniversary with an incredibly immersive experience in the Holotables, allowing players to travel across 60 years of incredible Star Wars stories, featuring 1,000+ worlds, ships, and characters featured in our game.

As Star Wars fans ourselves, we can’t wait to be part of the celebrations, and it’s great to learn about how Capital Games draws inspiration for the content in its game. We can’t thank Caley enough for her time. May the force be with you.