Game Overview
‍Knights Fight 2 (KF2) is an arena-based knight-fighting game developed by Shori Games and published by Vivid Games. The game features a unique fighting system with a high skill ceiling, multiplayer modes, and a deep metagame, including a castle management system. The game gained significant traction with over 2 million downloads and a dedicated community. While its development faced challenges, KF2 remains a solid midcore title that showcases a high degree of complexity and depth.

My Role
‍As the Product Owner for Knights Fight 2, I played a pivotal role in bringing the game into Vivid Games' publishing portfolio. My responsibilities involved working closely with Shori Games, the external development team, as well as overseeing an internal team consisting of designers, analysts, and QA specialists. Our goal was to elevate the game to free-to-play standards by focusing on live-ops, metagame improvements, and enhancing the player onboarding experience.

Additionally, I collaborated with various internal departments, including marketing and user acquisition, to develop a comprehensive product strategy aimed at the game's long-term success. This included data-driven decision-making and optimizing monetization strategies. I also navigated geopolitical challenges in 2020, as Shori Games, a Belarussian company, was one of many international developers I worked with across various regions, including the Netherlands, South Korea, and Brazil.

Key Responsibilities

• Close collaboration with Shori Games to ensure alignment on game development goals and milestones
• Leading an internal team of designers, analysts, and QA to bring the game up to F2P standards
• Developing product strategy with a focus on live-ops, monetization, and long-term player retention
• Analyzing player data to inform design decisions and improve the onboarding process
• Managing the relationship between internal departments like marketing and user acquisition to support the game’s growth
• Adapting to geopolitical tensions in 2020, which impacted international cooperation with external developers

Key Insights
‍Working on Knights Fight 2 was a demanding but rewarding experience. It provided me with valuable insights into the business and contractual aspects of game development, especially when working under unique geopolitical and developmental constraints. Leading an internal team eager to tackle a large midcore project like KF2 was a highlight of my career, and the game’s success in the competitive fighting genre demonstrated the impact of strong cooperation and strategic planning.

Links
‍Knights Fight 2 - Google Play
‍Knights Fight 2 - AppStore