- Squad Busters has nabbed the 2024 Apple Award for iPad Game of the Year
- It sits pretty alongside Balatro+ and AFK Journey, which also took home major awards
- Squad Busters has a rough launch, but has since clawed its way back to prominence
As a seasoned mobile gamer with over two decades of experience under my belt, I have seen many games come and go, some leaving lasting impressions while others fade into oblivion. In the realm of mobile gaming, the name Supercell is synonymous with success and innovation, so when their latest release, Squad Busters, stumbled out of the gate, it left a sour taste in many gamers’ mouths.
Despite being a high-quality production, Squad Busters didn’t quite make a splash at its debut, falling short of expectations for Supercell. It was particularly disheartening given that it’s not often we see Supercell, the Finnish mobile gaming titan, launching a new game globally after retiring numerous underperforming titles.
Initially, Squad Busters appeared to struggle, but over time it seems to have found its stride. More recently, the game’s success has served as confirmation for Supercell’s decision to release it, with the latest validation coming in the form of a prestigious award. In 2024, at the Apple App Store Awards, Squad Busters was honored as Game of the Year for iPad.
In a turn of events, AFK Journey from Farlight Games emerged victorious as the iPhone Game of the Year. Simultaneously, Balatro+ was honored with the title of Apple Arcade Game of the Year, a recognition it truly deserved. Therefore, Squad Busters found itself in esteemed company among other notable titles.
Busted open
The initial hiccups faced by Squad Busters upon its launch sparked curiosity, puzzlement, and concern among both mobile gaming moguls and regular players. A common question that arose was: “How could Supercell, renowned for their dedication to creating the next billion-dollar blockbuster, possibly release such a subpar game?
It seems to me that this prize might suggest the content itself wasn’t the primary factor. After experiencing it myself, I found it an enjoyable blend of battle royale and MOBA genres. However, considering Supercell had proposed numerous unique concepts beforehand, maybe the combination of their IPs didn’t resonate with players as they were expecting something different at that moment.
It seems the discussion isn’t over just yet, but this serves as a pre-Christmas gift to the team at Supercell – they can take some well-deserved rest knowing their efforts have been acknowledged by someone.
Why not check out where our own Pocket Gamer Awards placed some of this year’s releases? It’s quite intriguing!
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2024-12-11 21:18