Mobile Legends: Bang Bang is undoubtedly one of - if not the most - successful mobile MOBA titles in the region. However, with competition looming over the horizon in the form of League of Legends: Wild Rift, it comes as no surprise that Mobile Legends plans to step up their game with a new initiative titled "NEXT".
NEXT will be a long-term initiative commencing in 2020 that focuses on hero adjustment, art and sound upgrades, as well as IP development. Controls will also be another key aspect undergoing a revamp.
Same classic heroes, new playstyle
As the game expanded over the years, hero mechanics and playstyles have naturally gotten deeper and more intricate, leaving much to be desired from the classic heroes that made their debut earlier on.
In the NEXT project, the dev team aims to revamp these classic heroes with new features to make them more distinctive. This includes giving each one a unique symbol that defines them - a move which will involve a lot of new story creation and skill reworks. Apart from skills and mechanics, the dev team will also be working on aesthetic improvements such as model appearance, animations, and sound effects.
New and improved controls
The other focal point of NEXT will be the optimisation of the game's controls. The first feature to be revealed is Smart Targeting, which enables the player to target skills more accurately in a simple manner.
Another typical limitation on mobile MOBA games is sight. The dev team has revealed that they are planning to develop workarounds such as camera zoom out and tilt during skill casting, which will provide better vision to help players improve their gameplay and decision making.
To adapt is to survive
As a game that has been around for many years, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang relies on improvement and adaptation to thrive and stay firmly up to date with players' wants and needs. The NEXT initiative provides assurance that the MLBB dev team is staying on the ball to keep the game as fresh and innovative as its competitors.
More NEXT-related updates will be released as they come, so stay tuned to find out what the MLBB dev team has in store for the future.
