9 Lives Interactive's Nyan Heroes Is Changing the Game

9 Lives Interactive, an independent game studio established in 2021, is pushing the boundaries of gaming with its debut title, Nyan Heroes, utilizing cutting-edge Unreal Engine 5 and blockchain technology. Nyan Heroes is a next-generation hero shooter game. The game has unique gameplay mechanics and cat-inspired IP to drive mass adoption.

The multi-award-winning team at 9 Lives Interactive comprises industry veterans from leading studios, including EA, Bungie, and Ubisoft, with senior advisors from Riot Games and Twitch. The team has a history of developing, shipping, and sustaining AAA multiplayer shooter and live service titles, including Halo, Destiny, Fortnite, Marvel’s Avengers, and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six.

Developed by 9 Lives Interactive, Nyan Heroes features bleeding-edge technology to support actual asset ownership in a thriving creator economy. It is a team-based, objective hero-shooter featuring quirky cats who pilot powerful mechs in competitive battles to save the world.

Players can select from 8 guardian classes and use unique abilities and agile, feline-inspired movement to secure objectives and defeat opponents. Mechs are highly customizable via an innovative “augment weapon” system, providing a wide range of play.

Nyan Heroes takes place during the not-so-distant future in the underground civilization of New Nekovia, a vibrant city full of optimism, hope, and holographic skies. In pre-alpha, Nyan Heroes has amassed a large social following and has seen over 13,000 signups following a recent announcement of its early access launch.

KoreaGamesDesk caught up with the Founder and CEO of 9 Lives Interactive, Max Fu, for an exclusive interview. He transitioned from a career in the creative industry to focus on creating gaming experiences that emphasize both community building and positive social impact.

Max originally studied medicine, becoming a Gastrointestinal Surgical Registrar in the RACS training program in Australia — and the youngest surgical trainee at the time. But nine years ago, he decided to leave the medical profession to pursue his passion for gaming.

He founded 9 Lives Interactive and assembled a team of veterans from top games studios (EA/Ubisoft) to build Nyan Heroes, a next-generation hero shooter game with unique gameplay mechanics and cat-inspired IP, which has over 1.3M registered users in pre-alpha.

Although he is no longer a doctor, Max still has a drive to do good in the world, and his team has donated over $250K to various charities like the Best Friends Animal Society.

Can you tell us about your background and what initially drew you to the medical profession?

My journey into the medical profession began with a deep-rooted passion for helping others and a fascination with the human body. I earned my bachelor’s In medicine and surgery from the University of New South Wales, Australia’s leading research and teaching institution. During my studies, I became the youngest surgical trainee of my time, driven by a desire to make a tangible difference in people’s lives through medicine.

What inspired you to make such a significant career change from being a Gastrointestinal Surgical Registrar to founding a game studio?

As I progressed in my medical career, I discovered another passion: the burgeoning technology sector. This led me to transition into a role that allowed me to blend my analytical skills and strategic thinking with innovative technology.

I served as the COO of a creative studio, overseeing operations, strategy, and product development, collaborating with global giants like Google, Netflix, and Samsung. I built multiple digital communities from the ground up, growing to 30 million members across various platforms, including a YouTube channel that became the fastest-growing and most subscribed in Australia in 2019.

This experience ignited my love for building and nurturing communities, which I now apply in the gaming industry as the founder of 9 Lives Interactive. Eventually, I dreamed about the cute, positive, and competitive game concept for Nyan Heroes. I wanted to build my very own community for the game.

What challenges did you face when transitioning from medicine to the gaming industry, and how did you overcome them?

I’ve lived a few different lives, and after a career in medicine, I spent another 8 years working in the creative industry, after which I transitioned into the games industry! The most challenging aspect I’ve found is how interlinked every single department is in the studio.

Of course, in other industries, you need to be able to collaborate and work in a team. Still, that need is multiplied 100-fold in a game studio where many features have overarching implications across multiple departments. It challenges me to ensure that communications and processes are streamlined and that our high-level direction is always crystal clear – especially given that our studio is remote.

Can you share the story behind the cat-inspired IP and the name “9 Lives Interactive”?

The quirkiness of the cats was something that came about naturally. The internet has an obsession with cats, and everyone knows them to be mischievous, naughty, and playful. Ultimately, I wanted to build an IP for everyone, and cats are universally loved.

There was heavy inspiration from anime, specifically an older series called Neon Genesis Evangelion, where small children pilot giant mechs called EVAs. In addition, many members of our studio, including myself, are cat lovers and owners. So that’s how the IP developed.

We fine-tuned the IP along the way, ensuring the visual style and narrative were appealing and unique. We aimed to blend stylized art with some anime inspirations and a bright and science-fantasy-driven world instead of the cliched, dark, gritty cyberpunk tone we see in many games today.

How did your medical training and experience influence your approach to running 9 Lives Interactive?

Medicine, specifically surgery, is a highly practical specialty. People come in with problems, and it is our job to “fix” them. There is an element of academia, but ultimately, it is heavily results-driven with highly measurable outcomes. I try to run 9 Lives Interactive similarly. We push for results, measure the outcomes, and rapidly iterate on the product. My role is to ensure that operations are as efficient as possible so our team can spend less time in meetings and dealing with red tape and more time making a great game.

What is the concept and vision behind Nyan Heroes, and how did you develop the idea?

At 9 Lives Interactive, we’re all huge fans of the shooter genre, and Nyan Heroes is a love letter to that genre. Nyan Heroes is instantly identifiable and unique since you play as cats who pilot giant mechs. We want to create characters and a world that captures the hearts of players, but we know we also need to deliver on the gameplay. Plus, I love cats, owning five myself, and I wanted to bring the quirkiness of cats to life through Nyan Heroes.

How did you assemble your team of veterans from top game studios like EA and Ubisoft?

Hiring for 9 Lives was particularly challenging in the early days. We faced significant hurdles as a new studio with no established name, game, or prototype. I also lacked a track record in the games industry, making attracting talent harder.

Hiring our first 10 developers was incredibly challenging and time-consuming, but we got there after about 150+ interviews with potential candidates. These courageous individuals believed in our vision and took a giant leap of faith, often leaving very stable careers at well-established AAA studios.

Almost three years later, many of those early hires are still with us, joined by 60 other talented developers. We’ve faced numerous challenges together, and I am deeply grateful for that.

What unique gameplay mechanics in Nyan Heroes set it apart from other hero shooter games?

Some of our most innovative elements come from our movement system, which is inspired by the agile movements of cats. We have crafted an incredibly smooth and responsive traversal system that allows players to combine moves to get around the map and use them during combat.

Players can express their skill and creativity through more than just pure gunplay, from wall-running to wall-climbing, super jumps, and airdashing. Nyan Heroes also has a first-of-its-kind augment weapon System, whereby each hero has a unique ability – called an augment – that changes its behavior based on the primary weapon the player has equipped, allowing for endless experimentation.

Nyan Heroes also features dynamic combat that switches between mech and cat gameplay — each providing its unique twist — and is our take on an interesting last-stand mechanic. The cat gameplay is designed to be quirky and hilarious, shifting from the grave, highly competitive mech gameplay.

With over 1.3 million registered users in pre-alpha, what strategies did you use to attract such a large audience?

We have a fantastic core loop and a unique, memorable IP, and we aim to put a unique spin on the hero shooter genre by emphasizing augments and character abilities. We are so proud that Nyan Heroes, although only available in early access, has gained significant attention within the gaming community.

We achieved a position within the top five wish-listed titles on the Epic Games store and reached the top thirty most-played games on the platform. We also engaged leading streamers in the shooter genre space to test out our game and bring it to a broader audience.

We closely monitor player feedback for things they love, things that could be improved, and things they don’t like. We’re building in the open with the community, and one of the benefits of that is being able to iterate on feedback in real time to ensure we’re delivering the best experiences we can to our players. I believe all of this contributes to attracting such a large audience.

What role does Singapore play in your company’s growth and development, and why did you choose it as your base?

Singapore plays a crucial role in our company’s growth and development. We chose it as our base because of its forward-thinking government, business-friendly policies, and efficient infrastructure. These factors have given us the confidence and security to establish and grow our operations here.

How do you balance the creative aspects of game development with the business side of running a studio? And What advice would you give to others considering a significant career change to follow their passion?

I don’t believe that creativity and business priorities are mutually exclusive. Of course, some limitations need to be placed. For example, we don’t have unlimited funds or time to iterate on every feature 20 times. We need to make the best decisions simultaneously with our resources. However, within those rails, we are actively seeking to create a creatively unique product that has been made with passion.

For those considering a career change to follow your passion, I encourage you to carefully evaluate whether it’s the right decision on a practical level. Career changes are challenging, and you’ll need to work twice as hard to acquire new skills since you’ll be shifting away from your previous expertise.

However, it’s advantageous to experience new things, meet new people, and continuously feed your curiosity and desire for knowledge. Having changed my career twice, I can say it’s been an incredible journey, and I have no regrets.

How do you see the gaming industry evolving in the next five to ten years, and what role do you envision for 9 Lives Interactive?

Five to ten years is a long time in the gaming industry! I believe one of the biggest changes will be in accessibility. The barriers for developers are already decreasing rapidly, thanks to engines like Unreal, free software like Blender, and ongoing advancements in AI.

I expect game development to become much more accessible to anyone who wants to create a game, which is incredibly exciting. At 9 Lives Interactive, we’re committed to staying up-to-date with these advancements. While we’re aware of the current limitations in some areas, we know it’s only a matter of time before these challenges are solved.

Increased access also means more competition and a rise in the quality of the bar. This means there will need to be a stronger focus on the creative aspects of game development rather than just the technical, and we can’t wait to see that unfold.

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