Homeworld Mobile is the franchise's first time treading outside of PC, and Stratosphere Games did a commendable job adapting one of the more mechanically complex strategy franchises to be playable on one of the most limited platforms. Although it's not exactly a one-to-one conversion and Homeworld Mobile has its own unique identity as a game in the series, the overall presentation and many of the underlying systems are certainly authentic, and it feels more like a Homeworld game first and a mobile game second.
Celebrating Homeworld Mobile's first anniversary along with the recent 22nd anniversary of the franchise, Stratosphere Games CEO Kristian Metzger spoke with Game ZXC about Homeworld Mobile's new anniversary event, the challenges involved in creating an authentic mobile adaptation, and what the future looks like for Homeworld Mobile. The interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
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Q: Homeworld is celebrating an incredible 22 years! In that same retrospective vein, what have been some of the biggest moments for the Homeworld Mobile team since its launch?
Metzger: It's truly astonishing to realize that Homeworld has been a cornerstone of gaming for 22 years. As we journey through its rich history, Homeworld Mobile, developed by Stratosphere Games, has celebrated numerous pivotal milestones including the anniversary today. The introduction of tier 4 was a transformative moment, offering exhilarating content for our end-game players with great ships and exciting co-op experiences. On top of that the way our community comes together, helping one another, and collectively working on improving the game, is truly incomparable. This is a community that has been evolving and growing for 22 years, and it's heartwarming to witness their passion and dedication. Our story is really a story of work and partnership.
While we have encountered our fair share of challenges along the way, as most games do, we’re very proud to have continually and consistently improved it to where it now stands as a 4.5+ rated game. That has been an awesome experience for the entire team. Our community manager just today wrote in our internal dev channel that he is talking with players on a day-to-day basis who communicate so passionately with us because they are very emotionally invested in our game. Both appreciation and critiques are shared, and he recognized that the community is as emotional as it is because of their deep roots into the game and simply because they love the game so much. And I think he is right. Finally, our collaboration with Gearbox Publishing, the IP owner and publisher, has been instrumental, and we're thrilled with the synergy we've achieved together.
Thanks for everything guys. We are looking forward to the next several years.
Q: Can you talk about the new narrative-driven events being added to the game? How do they tie in with Homeworld Mobile's story?
Metzger: Our new narrative-driven events delve deeper into the nimbus factions' lore. There is a lot of talk about the different Kiith, comparable to tribes in other stories. Those upcoming stories tie seamlessly into the main campaign, providing players with profound insights into the motivations and intricacies of the characters and factions they encounter and will drive a living story forward. And hey, maybe we will see some surprises along the road.
Q: Homeworld Mobile includes a fleshed-out main storyline that players progress through. Will this main story quest be expanded on in the future, or is the team more focused on event-based narrative development now?
Metzger: While the main storyline remains an integral part of Homeworld Mobile and we plan to expand it, our current focus is event-based lore and storytelling. However, Homeworld galaxies and timelines are linked together and we have plans for delivering more lore, even if the format could change a bit.
Q: Of course, Homeworld 3 is also highly anticipated by franchise fans. Does the Homeworld Mobile team interact or coordinate with Homeworld 3 on design or narrative development?
Metzger: There's palpable anticipation for Homeworld 3. Our teams have collaborated closely, especially in narrative coherence, ensuring that events in Whirlpool and Nimbus are interwoven. Since the beginning of the project, we have discussed the development of both projects with Black Bird and Gearbox. While both are different games, they fully fit into the IP. That was especially
important for Gearbox and even the core target audience was not like every other mobile game. It was designed for Homeworld fans and adjusted later throughout the development to make it more accessible for Homeworld beginners.
Q: Homeworld Mobile 1.7 is introducing a revamped ship customization system. What are some of the ways players can personalize their fleets with the new cosmetic options? Are there plans for additional options in the future?
Metzger: Version 1.7 offers players broader personalization options. Beyond traditional Kiith colors, we're introducing unique skins. We're also planning to release event-based skins and more cosmetic options in future updates.
Q: Update 1.7 is introducing new mission types. How do these stand out from previous missions?
Metzger: Update 1.7 presents a fresh approach to missions. Features like Bounty and Mining Operations missions emphasize active gameplay. The rewards, especially with Mining Operations, scale with performance, offering a more immersive experience.
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Q: The update is also introducing a breadth of quality of life and balance improvements. What do you feel are the most impactful changes with the anniversary update? Was community feedback a strong factor in the update's development?
Metzger: ​​​​​​​The Officer Academy addition brings significant depth to the crew system. In terms of balance, our aim is to ensure every weapon type has its niche. Community feedback has been crucial in shaping this update. However, as every game designer on this planet and even in the Nimbus galaxy knows, balancing is never done completely and we will continuously improve it.
Q: Homeworld Mobile is surprisingly authentic when it comes to bringing a legendary PC RTS series to mobile. What were some of the biggest challenges involved in the transition to mobile?
Metzger: ​​​​​​​Transitioning a PC RTS series like Homeworld to mobile presented challenges, primarily in adapting the controls. After numerous iterations and feedback, a target list emerged as the optimal control experience. Our UI designer did iterate and test many times. And while we are quite happy with the current results, we are permanently looking for better ways to control the battlefield.
Q: Naturally, a few sacrifices have to be made when making a mobile rendition of a PC game. Was there anything the team felt was absolutely necessary to include or to not make compromises on?
Metzger: ​​​​​​​The art style and music are central to Homeworld's essence. We ensured these elements were captured without compromises. And did you notice the trails? It was a very long discussion how we could implement this unique visual aspect in the game without reducing clarity too much.
Q: Homeworld Mobile also functions like an MMO, which is atypical for RTS. What are some of the more interesting ways that players engage with one another?
Metzger: ​​​​​​​MMO elements in Homeworld Mobile have paved the way for unique interactions. Clans, Strikes, and the chat functionality foster a sense of community, strategy sharing, and coordination.
Q: Looking ahead, what is the team's vision for Homeworld Mobile in the future? Are there certain features you'd like to see added, or new types of content that the team is interested in developing?
Metzger: ​​​​​​​We’re looking forward to introducing features that create new opportunities for players to interact and compete with each other for resources, as well as explore the Nimbus galaxy even further and in new ways. And even if we said a question ago that we cannot talk too much about these things now, we are confident that players will love it.
Q: Any final thoughts we haven't touched on?
Metzger: We're thrilled about the Anniversary Event starting today. A huge shoutout to our community and the teams of Stratosphere Games and Gearbox Publishing for making Homeworld Mobile a success. We pride ourselves on being player-centric and will continue working closely with the community to deliver an even better player experience. And we hope to continue doing that for a long time.
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Homeworld Mobile is free to play on Mobile.