The OvenSmash director thinks PvP shouldn't just be for hardcore players

PvP gaming has always carried a certain reputation with it. For many casual gamers, that space is reserved for games that aren't always inviting and instead, more often than not, are rather intimidating, because they're dominated by skill gaps and players who have more time to devote to a game than other players. And that perception has only strengthened as competitive sports have evolved, usually rewarding commitment at the expense of accessibility. But what happens after liking the series CookeryKnown for its attractiveness and accessibility, step into the competitive field and try to rethink how it can feel? It seems so CookieRun: OvenSmash It just wants to do that to give players of different preferences a shot to feel like they're really good at a PvP game.

GameRant recently interviewed CookieRun: OvenSmash About the challenges that game director Won Young Lee brings for a long time Cookery Franchise in a real-time PvP environment. As Devsisters brings the IP to a new genre with multiple modes built around fast-paced competitive battles and short matches, Lee offered some insight into how the team is approaching competition in a way that aligns with the series' identity by embracing the intensity that PvP often demands.

CookieRun: OvenSmash wants to make PvP more inviting

One of the biggest struggles to move a welcoming, fun-filled IP Cookery In an intense space where PvP gaming is trying to strike a balance between identity and competition. Taking it all into a battlefield format brings expectations that players have always associated with. CookeryEspecially when the fun of PvP boils down to player skill. For Wonyoung Lee, the challenge wasn't just to make a competitive game OvenSmashBut finding out what that competition can still feel like inside Cookery Universe:

“We started together Cookery IP, and it's a new genre, the battlefield genre, so it can be fierce. But how do we make it? Cookery? How to style Cookery Making it a tough competition? And how we develop Cookery In a PVP game? That's what we focused on the most.”

But developers can't expect to succeed if all they do is slap their own IP on top of someone else's idea, and at first glance, it's easy to think so. CookieRun: OvenSmash That's all it's doing. Naturally, the upcoming mobile title has been compared to other Battlefield games like Supercell Brawl StarsAnd it's easy to see why. The bright, stylized characters, quick matchups, hero-based design, and team-based PvP focus reinforce those comparisons. However, with Devsister's goal OvenSmash Other sports – or any single sport – have never been as competitive Brawl StarsSpecifically — and instead “gave a lot of ideas about why people like this particular game.”

In the end, it ultimately comes down to respecting what makes one CookieRun: OvenSmash Unique among other PvP games. Again, games in this space often rely heavily on player skill, which can create a barrier for those who aren't committed or prepared to that level of gameplay or the time it takes to get there. Lee pointed to that gap as the biggest thing the team wants to address when thinking about what to build CookieRun: OvenSmash Feel the difference:

“I think that when there are more advanced players, more experienced players, PvP games become about beating those players. Small things can have a snowballing effect, and those elements can make the game boring. The difference in skill can make a big difference. If the skill ceiling is too high, it can be overwhelming for some users. So, we're not just focused on skill users, not even skill users. Use different mods and gimmicks in the game, and they can still overcome the skill difference.”

what makes CookieRun: OvenSmash What stands out, then, is how it redefines the idea of fairness in PvP gameplay. Instead of treating balance as something that strictly rewards the best players, CookieRun: OvenSmash It seems to find ways to keep players engaged even when their skill levels don't perfectly align with others. This doesn't automatically make the skill ceiling smaller, but it does introduce enough variation that outcomes don't always feel like they've been decided before the game even starts.

That idea feeds directly into how Lee sees the game's potential place in the genre. Instead of just competing with established PvP games, there's a sense CookieRun: OvenSmash Trying to rethink who those games were actually made for in the first place:

“Yes, I think it's definitely possible. I like the PVP genre itself. When I play a PVP game, it can still be stressful. It's a lot of fun, but some games are unsatisfying, so I find it hard to play it for a long time. I think that players who stay in PVP games should really be able to play PVP and we think that we should be able to play PVP. Even the games we thought we could come together with those two different types of users – we want to go ahead of others and we want to be ahead of others and we are in the PVP genre. We want to be the new standard.”

Bringing those two audiences together makes the idea even more ambitious. As PvP games narrow over time, experienced players increase the skill floor in a way that makes it difficult for others to stick around. If CookieRun: OvenSmash Can maintain a space where both groups feel they belong, it can do more than carve out a niche and possibly even change how access to competitive sports is accessed.

Cookie Run OvenSmash - Official Steam Screenshot 5

For Lee, that vision ultimately lies in something much simpler than genre expectations or design philosophy. As he said, “I want more players to come to our game, invite their friends, and I don't want them to end up playing a short match. I want this game to be something that people want to invite others and play with their friends.” To accomplish that, Devsisters believe CookieRun: OvenSmash There needs to be a game for everyone, and that's where a little access can go a long way.