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Press release:
Skyborne Games’ unconventional bubble shooter will arrive on the App Store and Google Play next Wednesday, April 25. LightSlinger Heroes is a twist on Match-3 gameplay – incorporating strategy, puzzles, and RPG elements. Shoot and match 3 or more bubbles to attack legendary monsters as you sling your way to the top – and join the quest to become the legendary LightSlinger!

Here’s how to dominate in LightSlinger Heroes:

Carefully plan your moves to create ultimate combos and summon heroes to unleash deadly attacks.
Assemble a powerful team of heroes as you complete each quest; each hero will grant you new combos and spells to use in battle.
Form a guild by inviting your closest clanmates to embark on real-time raids or join the PvP Arena where you will go head to head with other teams.

In LightSlinger Heroes, legendary creatures run rampant – destroying everything in their path. You’re tasked with choosing a faction – and then taking on difficult quests in order to kill each beast. Gameplay may seem simple on the surface, but actual strategy is required in order to beat the toughest enemies.

At a cursory glance, the marriage of bubble shooter and RPG might seem like a match made in heaven – but in reality, it requires a bit of “marriage counseling” to work. In order to ensure strategic depth on every board, Skyborne added mechanics like “Wild Bubbles” – allowing players to shoot 3 bubbles for a turn – and “Combo Effects” such as Heal/Attack All when you match 5 of a color.

East Meets West
At Riot Games, the devs learned that “appealing” art styles are very different among Eastern and Western audiences. As an indie studio, the goal is to create one art style that will serve both audiences.

Art director Priscilla Tsang – who also worked at Dreamworks Animation – was inspired by 2D animation from both Disney (The Lion King, Mulan, Beauty and the Beast) and Studio Ghibli (Laputa, Princess Mononoke) to draw the game’s heroes in a colorful and whimsical style. Eastern 2D puzzle RPGs tend to have characters with a lot of detail, but they also run into readability issues – such as “Where’s this dragon’s head?” Western 2D puzzle RPGs tend to have characters that have barely enough silhouette to fill the screen!

Skyborne opted for the best of both worlds: Heroes frequently have very large, exaggerated shapes – but attention was also paid to the hierarchy of shapes and colors to ensure their readability. That’s how LightSlinger Heroes ended up with high-end, high-impact art that allows players to gain intel during combat and appreciate it at the same time 🙂

Key features:
– Bubble shooter + RPG: Think Puzzle & Dragons meets Panda Pop.
– Endless hero combos: One hero can set explosive bubble traps, while another can fire a piercing shot to trigger the traps.
– Real-time raid battles: Work with your guildmates to take down bosses in real-time or steal the last hit from your rivals!
– PvP arena: Battle other players’ teams to become the top player.
– Guilds: Invite your friends, and play together to unlock guild chests – then strategize to take down mammoth guild bosses.
– Endless Surprise: Participate in 3 different event quests – tactical challenge dungeons, procedural puzzle adventures, and co-op MMO-style guild raids.

PRICING & AVAILABILITY
LightSlinger Heroes will be available on iOS and Android on Wednesday, April 25 as a free-to-play title. A VIP Program will be available for $9.99 a month that grants players a set of free rewards and bonus deals.

ABOUT THE DEVELOPER
Skyborne Games is a Los Angeles-based company that believes the sky’s the limit. With a philosophy that favors small team development and creativity over flashy IPs and a mega-corporation mindset, it has big plans for little devices – like the smartphone in your pocket! Originally founded in 2015 by a husband and wife team who came straight from Riot Games, Skyborne is all about making things happen. To learn more about LightSlinger Heroes and Skyborne Games, please visit http://www.skybornegames.com.