After launching about a year ago, Ninjala has managed to reach over seven million downloads. GungHo Online Entertainment's free-to-play multiplayer Switch title may be a brand-new IP for the company, but thanks to the game's charming presentation, easy-to-learn gameplay, and dedication to seasonal content, Ninjala continues to grow. Many fans are looking forward to the future of Ninjala, and seeing how the development team will further improve the action game.
Game Rant spoke with GungHo Online's President and CEO Kazuki Morishita about Ninjala's future, plans for additional content, the Monster Hunter Rise collab, and more. Interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Q: Since launching last year, Ninjala has been downloaded on the Switch more than seven million times. Did the team think that the game would be so successful? And if so, why do you think players continue to play and download the game?
A: The definition of success depends on the person, but firstly, as a game developer I am very happy that we have many players from around the world playing the game. Also, shooting games are common in battle royale-type games, but Ninjala is more of a close combat action game so there were challenges to that. We are very relieved that players of all ages are enjoying the game. We plan to continue updates and fixes not only through season updates but also through new ways to play (like the Featured Battles) so that we can have our players continue playing.
Q: The Monster Hunter collab was an event that was probably unexpected for most players. How did that collaboration come about? Was it the Ninjala team going to Capcom, or was it the other way around?
A: I personally like the Monster Hunter series, but we have experience working with Capcom through our collab with Puzzle & Dragons and I’m also close with them in general, so I asked if we could possibly have a collab with Ninjala, they instantly agreed to it.
Q: Were there any challenges in merging that world of Monster Hunter with the world of Ninjala?
A: The world of Ninjala is based in a modern setting making it easy to collaborate with different types of IPs, so we didn’t have many challenges. Also, we didn’t exactly bring over the characters, but created Monster Hunter Rise-themed Avatar Skins (costumes) and items.
Q: For the collaboration, were there any ideas that were left on the cutting room floor that didn't make it into the game?
A: No, I believe there wasn't anything in particular.
Q: There have been Sonic, LET IT DIE, and even Puzzle & Dragons collaborations with Ninjala, but is there anything you can tell us about any future collaborations?
A: Up until now, we’ve mostly been collaborating with other games, but we hope to collaborate with other types of IPs such as anime and manga.
Q: What kind of video game franchises does the team look for when it comes to these collaborations? What's that process like?
A: Our general policy is to choose an IP that we like and prioritize them depending on the player’s interests. Then we brainstorm what kind of collab content we should create.
Q: Since Ninjala has been such a success, are there any new plans to bring the game to other platforms?
A: We developed Ninjala to be optimized for the Nintendo Switch so we don’t have any plans right now, but it is developed so that it can support cross-platform.
Q: How long does the team plan on supporting the game in terms of new content for players?
A: It may depend on the platform’s trend, but we have plans to update and support Ninjala for a very long time.
Q: Speaking of content, are there more story chapters on the way?
A: We currently have Chapter 1 and 2 for the Story Packs, but the story on what’s happening behind the tournament called Ninjala, has a major importance to the entire story, so we are preparing for several ways for our fans to enjoy it, not just through the future Story Pack chapters.
Q: Ninjala's cast of characters would certainly benefit from having an official Nintendo amiibo figure. Have there been any talks with Nintendo on that matter?
A: We don’t have any plans right now, but if we have the opportunity to make one, we’d definitely like to.
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Ninjala is available now for the Nintendo Switch as a free-to-play title.