Essential Sound Design Strategies for Refreshing Live Service Mobile Games

The rise of live service games has transformed the game development process into an ongoing, creative cycle. As these games continue to evolve with new content, such as season passes and DLC expansions, the demand for innovative resources grows. For audio designers, joining an existing project or working as an outsourced producer, it's crucial to consider the unique needs and expectations that come with expanding and upgrading sound assets for games with established foundations. When working on a game that has already launched, timelines are often tight, and the existing audio profile has already been defined. To efficiently create new or refreshed content, it's vital to quickly grasp the key details about the current sound design, including how it contributes to the game's stylistic expectations and what sets it apart. For instance, when updating the sounds for the hero Franco in Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, we focused on creating heavy, earthy, and metallic sounds that fit his dwarven character, while also incorporating additional layers to add depth, such as the rustle of leather and the jingle of chains. By understanding these needs upfront, we were able to efficiently record and edit the sounds, resulting in a natural and immersive experience. When recording new sounds from scratch, it's essential to test ideas quickly and not dwell on a single effect. If the results aren't satisfactory after a few attempts, it's best to move on and try alternative approaches. This rapid testing process enables you to discover the ideal sound more efficiently. When working with an existing library of sounds, it's crucial to balance the need to refresh and improve the audio with the importance of preserving the integrity of what players love and find iconic. This requires a thoughtful approach to updating sound assets, ensuring that the new sounds align with the current actions, animations, graphics, and story elements. Live service games are constantly evolving, making it essential to revitalize existing characters and give them a fresh sound to combat stagnation and re-engage players. In our case, we updated Franco's sound kit to make it punchier and more energetic, while also reducing repetitive elements that could lead to player fatigue. To achieve this, we used real drum beats as the core of his melee attacks and added a hefty swoosh to his weapon swing, signaling the weight of his attacks. When working on a tight deadline, sound libraries can be a valuable asset, providing a baseline for sound quality and kickstarting the creative process. However, it's essential to treat these samples as a starting point and add your own unique flavor to create distinctive sounds. When developing sounds for mobile games, it's vital to consider the technical limitations of the devices and the context in which the games will be played. Mobile devices have narrower sound ranges, and dense sounds can become blunt and lose nuance. To avoid audio fatigue, it's crucial to test your sounds on various handheld devices, using both speakers and different grades of headphones, to determine what works best. Additionally, it's essential to be mindful of the public settings in which mobile games are often played. While adding character to sounds is important, it's crucial to avoid indecent or disturbing effects that may be inappropriate in public. Finally, testing your sounds in different locations and at various times of day can help ensure that they remain engaging and effective in different environments. By incorporating this testing into your process, you can create a more polished and immersive audio experience for your game.