Riot Games Takes on a New Challenge with Swarm

Last year, the world of Final City faced a relentless invasion from alien Primordians, and only the daring Anima Squad stood in the way. Players globally unleashed chaos, launching mines and dodging bullets in the groundbreaking game mode, Swarm.

Behind the Scenes: The Technical Innovations

Swarm redefined gameplay, requiring fierce coordination and technical precision. For new players and tech enthusiasts, Riot Games is pulling back the curtain to showcase the engineering marvels that power Swarm.

In this exclusive look, we’ll dive into the innovative methods that made Swarm's unique features possible, specifically highlighting insights from Riot's brilliant tech team.

Minions, Movement, and Mayhem

Introducing Riot Nancyyy, the Tech Lead for Swarm, who will uncover the secret to making Swarm feel like a true hive of activity with hundreds of minions battling on screen.

A major challenge was increasing the number of minions active at once while optimizing game performance. The solution? Create a new lightweight minion class that retains core features but is much easier to manage within the game.

Pathfinding Strategies Like No Other

Swarm minions employ a revolutionary global pathfinding algorithm, ensuring smoother navigation even as the chaos escalates. This innovative setup allows minions to move together while avoiding collisions, creating a seamless and exciting gameplay experience.

Crafting Game Waves with a Data-Driven Approach

Next up, let’s explore how designers harness the power of data to create engaging waves of enemies. Using a C++ layer combined with a flexible scripting layer, the team is capable of tweaking every aspect of gameplay, from the number of minions to their spawn timing.

Buff Batching: A Game-Changer

In the Swarm universe, traditional buff methods have given way to a more efficient buff batching system. Instead of applying effects to each minion individually, buffs are applied to groups, drastically improving performance without sacrificing gameplay.

Optimizing the Client Experience

Despite impressive server metrics, early gameplay sessions revealed performance issues due to overwhelming on-screen activity. The team worked tirelessly to optimize everything from graphical elements to particle simulations, ensuring players experienced a polished product.

Navigating Server Challenges for Swarm's Global Success

Turning our attention to server capacity, we meet Riot H28 G EVO, Senior Engineering Manager, who will share the server-side challenges that came with launching a game this ambitious. Swarm’s unique PvE gameplay required careful planning to meet the demands of an eager player base.

The Forecasting and Monitoring Lifeline

Effective capacity planning was essential, and the team utilized existing data to forecast Swarm's needs accurately. Innovative monitoring systems were developed to track performance and make swift adjustments to server capabilities.

Key Insights from the PBE Experience

During the game's Public Beta Environment (PBE) phase, the team learned crucial lessons about player engagement and network bandwidth. With engagement rates far surpassing expectations, the team put measures in place to maintain server stability.

Developing an Engaging Progression System

Now we shift gears to Riot Regex, the Software Engineer who brought our roguelike progression to life. By creatively repurposing elements from existing systems like the store and battlepass, the team constructed a captivating upgrade system within Swarm.

Connecting Gameplay with Reward Systems

Inside Swarm, player objectives translate into tangible rewards, ensuring that every game feels like a step towards greater achievements. The integration of upgrade systems into the gameplay loop made for a responsive and rewarding experience.

The Road Ahead for Swarm and Beyond

As we conclude this revealing glimpse into the tech behind Swarm, it's clear that creating an innovative game mode is no small feat. The collaboration among engineers, designers, and artists has resulted in a memorable experience that pushes the boundaries of gaming technology.

Riot Games is not just setting the stage for Swarm; they are paving the way for future innovations in gaming. With every challenge faced, the team has learned valuable lessons that will inform their next ventures.