Squad Busters

Download – App Store / Google Play

Responsibilities

  • Designed the Heroes Meta update from concept to release, developing and iterating on pitch directions, meta systems, Quests, FTUE and balance, while collaborating closely with fellow designers to define and deliver the new Hero meta.
  • Helped design and release 5 Heroes and rework 30+ characters (Squaddies), creating and iterating on unique abilities, traits, and mechanics that aligned with the evolving game meta and contributed to a more dynamic and balanced gameplay experience.
  • Created and executed Hero release events, including the Sonic and Spike collaborations, designing event loops, progression systems, balance and rewards, while working with partners like SEGA to deliver high-quality, on-brand content.
  • Collaborated cross-functionally with UI/UX designers, producers, developers, and operations teams to ensure features and events were implemented cohesively and delivered to players at the highest quality.

Game Overview

Squad Busters is a fast-paced multiplayer mobile action game developed by Supercell, featuring iconic characters from the company’s popular franchises like Clash of Clans, Brawl Stars, Hay Day, Clash Royale, and Boom Beach. Players assemble squads of these characters to compete in dynamic 10-player matches, collecting gems and battling opponents across various game modes and maps.

Feature Showcase

Hero Meta

I designed the Heroes Meta update from concept to release, shaping a progression system that added meaningful long-term goals while maintaining accessibility and clarity. This involved developing and iterating on multiple pitch directions and meta structures that balanced depth with simplicity. The design focused on delivering a mix of exciting, high-value rewards (targeting $200 total per hero), consistent pacing without exponential progression curves, and reinforcing player agency by linking gameplay with Hero advancement. The system introduced strategic depth through layered progression paths, lightweight power scaling, and daily progress opportunities across multiple heroes—ensuring players always had something to work toward without feeling blocked. Throughout, I carefully managed system complexity, limiting new currencies and mechanics to keep the experience intuitive and engaging.

Examples of Meta Loops

While the Heroes Meta system succeeded in adding strategic depth and long-term progression, there were a couple of areas where improvements could enhance the player experience. First, the balance between stat upgrades and cosmetic rewards needed refinement. Players often felt forced to choose between underwhelming, lower-cost rewards and more meaningful but expensive stat progression, which led to upgrade fatigue. Introducing more frequent, smaller stat upgrade rewards would make progression feel consistently valuable across different player types and investment levels.

Second, the time required to fully upgrade a Hero was longer than ideal, creating a disincentive for players to experiment with or invest in additional Heroes. Once they committed to a favorite, the sunk cost often discouraged exploring the broader roster. A potential improvement would be to increase the availability of Hero Points (the upgrade currency) and implement ways for players to bring new Heroes up to a competitive level more quickly—ensuring greater flexibility and diversity in endgame play.

Quests

As part of the Heroes Meta update, I led a revamp of the Quests system to align with the new progression mechanics. Since quests became the primary source of Hero Points, I rebalanced the system by designing new quests focused on updated gameplay mechanics and hero interactions, while removing outdated versions. The goal was to encourage daily engagement by giving players a steady stream of currency they could use toward any hero—empowering them with more choice, flexibility, and a stronger sense of agency in how they progressed through the system.

Sonic Update

I led the design of a Hero release event in collaboration with SEGA and the Squad Busters team, focused on creating an engaging experience that would drive both retention and monetization. This involved aligning on creative direction, building a compelling event loop, and designing progression and reward structures that felt meaningful and exciting for players. Throughout development, I worked cross-functionally to ensure the event met both gameplay and business goals while staying true to the Sonic brand.

Unlock Sonic Event

  • Progress through a reward chain by collecting rings from battles to unlock Sonic, Sonic Hero Points and lots of additional rewards.

Upgrade Sonic

  • Use Sonic Hero Points to progress through 6 pages of content in Sonic’s personal Hero Journey!

Unlock Rewards

  • Unlock rewards within Sonic’s Hero Journey including Knuckles, Tails, Sonic gameplay abilities, cosmetics, chests and additional rewards.

Event Loop + Wireframes

Event Release Video

Main Hero Event Screen

Hero Event Balanacing

For the Sonic Hero release event, I designed and balanced the player progression economy, ensuring a smooth and rewarding gameplay loop. I created and tuned the ring collection system—earned by busting monsters in the core—and mapped this to an event track with meaningful rewards. Through playtesting and iteration, I established the right pacing and numbers for progression, working closely with data analysts and live ops managers to launch a well-balanced, engaging event that delivered a great player experience.