"Over 80% of our audience is on Xbox," says Pathea about the launch of Superball after six years of development
At the end of October, the cooperative multiplayer game Superball by the Chinese indie studio Pathea Games was released. The studio is best known for their life simulation hit, My Time at Portia. The project took a long time to reach a full release and is still experiencing difficulties. We spoke with Yao Liu, one of the key developers of Superball, about the project's journey and the hopes of its developers.
First, a little about Superball itself. It's a session-based football game set in a cyberpunk environment. Two teams, each with three players, try to score goals against each other. The rules are complex due to multiple modes, and players, known here as champions, vary greatly in characteristics and skillsets. The closest game analogy would be Rocket League.
Alexander Semyonov, App2Top: Tell us a bit about yourself and what you do at the company?
Yao Liu
Yao Liu, Pathea: I'm the game designer and lead programmer for Superball. I've been on the project since its inception, responsible for game systems, network code, and content design. My job is to provide players with fast-paced, competitive, and engaging gameplay. Additionally, I focus on establishing a solid technical foundation so the game can be played from anywhere in the world.
Superball has had a long development history. The project has changed names and platforms several times. How did it all start?
Yao Liu: Superball originally started as a completely different game called Artifact. It was supposed to be a PvP game about robot battles.
However, in 2019, we suddenly realized that the most exciting part of the future game was a mini-mode centered around kicking a ball, a variation of kickball. Thus, we decided to make this the core of the project, which evolved into Super Buckyball Tournament, now released as Superball.
For us at Pathea, this was our first experience creating a full-fledged online multiplayer game. The journey was both exhilarating and daunting.
Amazing! You essentially rebooted the project in 2019, and by summer of the same year, you showcased it at E3. Later, at the very end of 2020, you launched a free version in the Epic Games Store and Steam. It gathered a decent player base, didn’t it?
Yao Liu: That's correct. Later, during the Steam Game Festival 2021, more than 100,000 players tried the game, and some TikTok videos about it amassed several million views.
But it never reached a full release back then. Why not?
Yao Liu: The early access showed great potential, but the game wasn’t mature enough. We received a lot of feedback, especially regarding the game's pace, progression, and stability, and realized we needed more comprehensive systems and a more reliable online infrastructure. We decided to hold off on the release to avoid launching an unfinished product. The decision was difficult but necessary.
What happened to Superball after that?
Yao Liu: We returned to development, reworked matchmaking, improved gameplay, added new modes, and rebuilt the core tools. We focused on network stability and multi-platform cross-play support. Additionally, we updated the progression and monetization systems to support future content updates.
It seems the changes were so significant that the relaunch happened almost five years later. Apart from what you mentioned earlier, what else did you change?
Yao Liu: I've already touched on this, but I'll highlight it again — we significantly improved the network code and backend, enabling cross-platform support and preparing new matchmaking.
We completely revamped the interface and various game systems, including hero progression. We substantially improved the tutorial. Overall, we reworked almost all key game systems.
Now, at the end of 2025, you didn’t just relaunch it; you released it under a new name — Superball. Why go for rebranding?
Yao Liu: The scale changed significantly, and so did the game's identity. New modes, new characters were introduced, and the strategy related to the game changed.
The new name highlights a fresh start, reflects the updated direction, and helps attract players who might not have been interested before.
Not only that, but you even set up a new Steam page. I found this decision surprising, considering Super Buckyball Tournament had a well-established page with many reviews. Do you regret doing that?
Yao Liu: It was a difficult decision, but we don’t regret it. The old page didn’t reflect the current state of the project. The new start allowed us to reposition the game, rekindle interest, and avoid confusion. We are very grateful to the player community and hope they will return.
Another surprising decision was shifting from self-publishing to partnering with Logoi Games. Why?
Yao Liu: Pathea Games is actively expanding its portfolio across different genres. Besides Superball, our internal teams are simultaneously developing and publishing several other projects. In such conditions, bringing in a partner became a natural step.
The relaunch announcement was made during the ID@Xbox x IGN Showcase. How much did it affect traffic?
Yao Liu: The showcase significantly increased game recognition, especially among Xbox players who hadn’t heard of it before. Immediately after the event, we saw a noticeable spike in store visits, increased social media interest, and new players in the project itself.
According to SteamDB, the peak online on Steam reached 400 players. What about other platforms? How do you evaluate the launch yourself?
Yao Liu: The total online across all platforms was higher — over 80% of our audience is on Xbox.
Superball is about the long game. We've already conducted several backend updates, and as new content rolls out, we expect a stable growth in online activity.
Together with Xbox, we worked on perks for Game Pass holders, making entry into the game particularly attractive through Xbox platforms.
The presence of cross-play is beneficial for PC players too — it ensures high online activity at any time.
One last question. You’ve been working on the game for over six years. The project hasn't yet shown significant online activity. What are your future plans?
Yao Liu: Superball is a service game. Our goal is to continue improving the game and gradually growing the community, step by step.
As for our plans, we will:
- continue enhancing the server side and matchmaking;
- release content updates (new modes, new heroes, new cosmetics);
- improve balance based on player feedback.