My Pet Hooligan Alpha 2.0 Turbo Achieves Epic Launch
My Pet Hooligan™ (MPH) made its mark on the Epic Games Store on June 30, 2023, with the launch of Alpha 2.0 Turbo, a follow-up to Alpha 1.5, which was showcased at the 3XP Web3 Gaming Expo to rave reviews. Version Alpha 2.0 Turbo is an early access environment for Hooligan holders and those lucky enough to get an Early Access Pass. With the introduction of a new free-for-all game mode, Hooligans are set up to raise an even bigger ruckus in Hooliland.
Bringing over 1,548 titles to over 230 million PC users, the Epic Games Store is one of the largest game distribution platforms in the market, with its PC players spending as much as US$820 million in 2022. My Pet Hooligan is among the first cohort of web3 games to pass Epic’s stringent onboarding requirements, and launching on the platform means gaining access to leverage the wide variety of features offered by Epic Online Services (EOS).
Through EOS, players have the ability to join voice chats and form parties. It also enables the AMGI team to utilize Epic Matchmaking Services and Persistent Player Profiles, which store player information as they level up and acquire different resources. Additionally, with KPI tracking, the team can gather insights into preferred weapons, popular maps and areas that require fine-tuning while making the process of distributing updates to the servers more efficient. This information is vital to the team as the full public release draws near.
Holders of an OG Hooligan or ZuckBot can now download the game by going to the My Pet Hooligan website and clicking on “Play Alpha” to claim their key. Players will need to create an account or sign up on the Epic Games Store, navigate to their profile and click on “Redeem Code,” and enter the access key code provided by Epic Games to install the My Pet Hooligan game.
What’s New in Alpha 2.0 Turbo
The new build introduces a tremendous update to Hooliland City and gives players the ability to destroy any of the abandoned cars lining the streets of Hooliland and spray-paint building walls with graffiti to mark their territory. Players can also show off their Hooligan characters’ skateboarding skills by chaining flips and grabs to unleash killer combos, which fill up a boost meter that lets Hooligans zoom across the map when full. Throughout all this action, in-game music by members of the Karrot Gang plays in the background.
“Unlike most competitive shooters out there, My Pet Hooligan is much more light-hearted and casual, bringing a breath of fresh air with its silly and chaotic nature. As game developers, our hardest challenge is creating a truly fun experience, and our team has placed great emphasis on recognizing and harnessing the fun factor in My Pet Hooligan,” shared Carl Schembri, Game Director at AMGI Studios.
Hooliland encompasses seven distinct faction territories and a public park — renamed “Decentral Park” by popular Hooligan consensus — where players can hang out and occasionally run into ZuckBots. Alpha 2.0 Turbo introduces a free-for-all game mode across three maps in Hooliland that are themed around Mutants, Rogue Jumpers and Hare Raisers. In free-for-all, players are restricted to a designated zone to maintain fast-paced action. Players who leave the zone will begin to take damage. Keen-eyed rabbits will also notice that while the size of the map has stayed the same, certain buildings have opened up, serving as strategic checkpoints for players to launch hare-brained attacks on each other.
Holders of My Pet Hooligan NFTs can play as their NFT or strip down to their socks and underwear and join the rest of the free-to-play players. The inclusion of socks and underwear as cosmetic items in the game mode is both an homage to Carl’s childhood Laser Tag battles on Christmas day and a throwback to games like Maximo: Ghosts to Glory and Ghosts ’n Goblins, where players lose their armor and clothing upon taking damage.
This fun and lighthearted approach helped the game achieve a Teen rating on the Epic Games Store, enabling a wider range of players to enjoy MPH without kneecapping its creative elements.
Optimizing the My Pet Hooligan Player Experience
Unveiling My Pet Hooligan in front of Epic’s massive audience meant the game had to run smoother than ever so players would witness each chaotic explosion in stunning detail. To guarantee that the game met the highest quality standards before launching on the Epic Games Store, the AMGI game development team focused heavily on profiling and optimization. And Alpha 2.0 Turbo was born.
Kevin Mack, CTO of the My Pet Hooligan video game, shed light on the challenges and experiences that arise from utilizing cutting-edge technologies. “Having this close relationship with the amazing team at Epic gives us the opportunity to work through new updates and leverage the latest tools offered by newer versions of the Unreal Engine,” Kevin explained. He further emphasized the advantages of launching through the Epic Games Store, including enhanced security measures and seamless updates, while also ensuring that players can access the game through a professional distribution pipeline.
Much of the work Kevin and the team put into optimization was pressure-tested at 3XP, with some of the world’s top esports stars duking it out live on the main stage in a 40-minute battle royale. And it wasn’t just the competitive players who got to experience the polished gameplay of Alpha 1.5 — the MPH booth was open for all to play. Alpha 2.0 Turbo on Epic makes that experience even smoother, the bombs more explosive and the gratuitous violence even more fun.
Reflecting on the community’s feedback, Luke Paglia, COO at AMGI Studios, is excited about what lies ahead. “We are continuously refining the gameplay to create an even more immersive experience,” he said. “The progress made so far, from the map to intricate details, is incredible, and we can’t wait to show what else is in store for the future. Granting our team the creative freedom to create what they love has propelled us to where we stand today, and the journey has been nothing short of extraordinary.”
“This launch represents a major milestone for us, and we are excited to explore new possibilities and push the boundaries of AI, gaming and web3 technologies to their fullest extent. We are committed to collaborating with our community as we continue to explore new avenues to expand the reach of the My Pet Hooligan IP and engage with a wider mainstream audience,” added Paglia.
My Pet Hooligan is now available on the Epic Games Store to holders of My Pet Hooligan characters, which can be purchased on OpenSea. Sign up for the Early Access Alpha waitlist today and be among the first to experience Alpha 2.0 Turbo.
Also check out the My Pet Hooligan Orange Paper, website, Discord and Twitter.
For more information about AMGI Studios, visit its website, YouTube and Twitter.
