Part 1

Minion Rush’s Massive Update is finally here!

Minion Rush’s biggest update ever was released on May 20, 2025, which included a move to the Unity Engine, overhauled visuals, new gameplay modes, enhanced customization options, and more!

The game launched in 2013 in collaboration with Illumination and Universal Products & Experiences, and the past 12 years have been a wild run, marked by incredible milestones like reaching 1.2 billion downloads! But we have so much more we want to do, and with the Massive Update, we’re making sure the popular mobile runner is the best it can be for years to come.

To celebrate the new update, we sat down with game manager Kateryna Skrypnik, product marketing manager Lina Artemenko, and senior game community manager Iryna Tyshchenko from Gameloft Ukraine to learn more.

What motivated you to create the Massive Update?

Kateryna: Since its launch in 2013, Minion Rush has brought endless fun to more than a billion players worldwide, combining fast-paced runner gameplay with the iconic humor of Illumination’s Minions universe. Over the years, the game has introduced new environments, events, and costumes that reflected both player interests and the evolution of the franchise.

After a decade of continuous updates, we felt it was time for a bold step forward. We wanted to modernize the experience, streamline the gameplay, and bring fresh ideas to the game without losing the despicable spirit that defines Minion Rush. That’s how the idea of the Massive Update was born.

This wasn’t just about visual polish or tech upgrades, it was a full rethink, shaped by years of player feedback, in-game data, and countless brainstorms. We focused on what players love most and explored new ways to surprise, challenge, and engage them.

What can players expect from this new update?

Kateryna: Our primary goal was to enhance the overall feel of the game. The updated UI/UX is designed to be more intuitive and user-friendly, ensuring that navigating menus and accessing features is seamless and enjoyable. We listened closely to player feedback regarding navigation and playability, and we believe these changes will make a positive impact.

Introducing new features was another key objective. We strived to provide players with fresh ways to engage with the game, offering more depth and variety in their daily runs and long-term progression. These new features are designed to add layers of excitement and replayability, keeping the experience dynamic and rewarding.

Another important point is the visual upgrade to elevate the Minion Rush experience to a whole new level. We wanted to inject a fresh wave of visual fidelity with completely revamped graphics, making the world of Minion Rush more vibrant and immersive than ever before. Think sharper details, more fluid animations, and environments that truly pop!

Why move to the Unity Engine?

Kateryna: We were committed to delivering a constant stream of engaging content. That's where the move to the Unity engine plays a crucial role. This transition is a strategic investment in the future of Minion Rush. Unity's robust platform will empower our development team to implement new features and limited-time events much more efficiently. This increased agility means we can bring fresh and exciting content to our players at a faster pace, leading to a more diverse and consistently evolving gameplay experience.

You mentioned how community feedback influenced the game and this particular update. How were they involved in this update?

Iryna: Many of the changes in this update came directly from the detailed feedback we have received from our amazing community. We’ve been running several closed playtests on Discord with select players who are truly passionate about Minion Rush and gaming in general. This Massive Update is very much community-driven. So many features were added, reworked, or refined because our players asked for them and we listened! We analyzed tons of comments, doing our best to take into account everything we could realistically implement.

Lina: The Minion Rush community is super committed and full of passionate people who really love the game. Many of them are longtime players who have been with us since the very beginning! They’re incredibly engaged and vocal with their suggestions and ideas, and their feedback plays a huge role in shaping the game. They share detailed insights, honest opinions, and personal takes that really help us see the game through their eyes.

What were some of the most requested features by the community?

Lina: The community regularly asked for the return of the Endless Run mode, and we’re delivering just that with the Massive Update. New power-ups were also a common request from players. We not only added them but also introduced new gadgets to make the gameplay even more dynamic and enjoyable.

Player feedback also had a huge impact on new feature adjustments, such as Story Puzzles. The community wanted to make this feature more engaging and rewarding, and we gathered a lot of dedicated feedback on it. Based on that, we reshaped the new feature to make sure it's enjoyable for everyone.

Iryna: We’re always listening to our players. What they’re talking about, what they love, and what they’re not so happy with. We ask questions, share their feedback with the production team, and do our best to explain the reasoning behind the choices we make in development. Player feedback is incredibly important to us, and it really helps shape the direction of Minion Rush. After all, we’re making this game for them, and we want them to enjoy it!

What do you hope the players take away from this update?

Kateryna: We sincerely hope the players feel a renewed sense of excitement and engagement with Minion Rush. This update isn't just about us, it's deeply rooted in the feedback they've shared over the years and in particular during the Massive Update development cycle. We want them to see that their voices matter and that we've taken their suggestions to heart in shaping this revamped experience.

We also aspire to deliver a greater sense of long-term fun and discovery. The new features are designed to add layers of depth and replayability, offering fresh challenges and ways to play that will keep things interesting for both seasoned runners and newcomers. We want them to find new strategies, unlock exciting rewards, and feel a continuous sense of progression.

Ultimately, we want the community to feel that the game they've cherished for so long has not only been revitalized but has also grown and evolved in meaningful ways. We want them to say, "Wow, this is the Minion Rush I know and love, but even better!" Their continued enjoyment and enthusiasm are what drive us, and we truly believe this update will deliver an experience they'll absolutely love.

What do you and the Gameloft team love most about working on Minion Rush all these years?

Kateryna: For us, Minion Rush is so much more than just a game. It’s a blend of our love for the Minions, our passion for gaming, our dedication to creative innovation, and our deep connection with our players.

Getting to work with characters that are inherently fun and bring smiles to so many faces is a real privilege. But beyond the sheer joy of the Minions themselves, Minion Rush is a testament to the power of games to connect people. We're all massive gaming fans here on the team, so we understand the thrill of new content, the satisfaction of mastering events and levels, achievements, and the fun of competition. Minion Rush embodies that spirit. It’s a chance for players around the globe to dive into a lighthearted and engaging experience, whether they have a few minutes to spare or want to get lost in the banana-collecting frenzy for longer sessions.

It's a project we pour our hearts into, and it lets us be part of something that brings a little bit of playful chaos and a whole lot of fun to people's daily lives.

Lina: One of the most heartwarming things for us is hearing how Minion Rush has helped people in their real lives whether it made their day a little more positive or helped them through a tough time. That kind of feedback is so meaningful, and it truly inspires us to give 200% and keep bringing new surprises and fun experiences to the community. We have a lot of exciting things planned!

Part 2 

The move to the Unity game engine ensures the long-term future of the game by bringing it to a modern, powerful, and scalable platform. After more than a decade of success, we recognized the importance of keeping up with evolving technology to meet the evolving standards in video games.

We sat down with Anastasiia Pogodina, studio UI/UX director; Igor Boiko, lead game designer; Alexandr Soor, lead developer; and Oleksandr Borodin, lead artist, to learn more on what went behind the scenes.

What did you want to achieve with the Massive Update?

Igor: We had several critical objectives: improving the overall stability and performance of the game across a wide range of devices, opening the door for richer visual enhancements, and expanding our ability to create innovative gameplay features and live events. Additionally, we wanted to optimize development workflows, making it easier for our teams to produce high-quality content faster and more efficiently.

To do this, our teams worked cross-functionally across design, engineering, QA, and user experience to identify risks early and prioritize solutions. We built extensive internal test environments and ran multiple rounds of player testing to ensure that gameplay stayed true to its original spirit, even as everything underneath evolved. It was a demanding, detail-intensive process, but the result is a game that not only honors its legacy but also is fully prepared to thrive in the future.

One of the most striking new features is the visual upgrade. Can you tell us about the new art direction?

Oleksandr:  We aimed to stylize the design, object geometry, and animations while keeping materials as authentic as possible within the stylistic framework. We drew inspiration from the Minions franchise, and Illumination provided excellent art guides that answered many questions and set us on the right visual path from the start. 

How has the art evolved in Minion Rush?

Oleksandr: A great example would be the progress of the Gru Lab level. The initial exports of levels from the legacy version of the game into Unity looked quite rough and most elements needed to be completely redone from scratch.

We decided to rethink the game’s visuals, leaning into the capabilities of the Unity game engine. This was followed by iterations of concept art, where we aimed to fully capture the desired mood, drive, and visual atmosphere of the ported levels.

We then ported obstacles and animations into the game and set up initial material shaders. The atmosphere was already starting to take on the desired vibe, but the visual hierarchy during the action phase was still cluttered and generating noise even with minimal UI.

We managed to implement the lion’s share of elements planned during the concept and mood board stages, while also incorporating visual changes based on feedback from the community involved in the game’s beta testing. In the days leading up to the release, our art board contained around 10,000 images, and nearly every one, whether a reference, concept iteration, or before-and-after comparison, received dedicated time and attention from the team.

Igor: Thanks to the new engine, the environments are now richer, more vibrant, and packed with finer details, creating a more immersive feeling while preserving the bright, colorful charm that players associate with the Minions franchise. Every run feels more dynamic and alive, making players want to dive back into the action again and again.

What was the team most proud of on the technical side?

Alexandr: Minion Rush is filled with many costumes, locations, missions, assets, and legacy systems that were built over the course of more than a decade. Each element had to be carefully evaluated. Could they be preserved as is, improved, or did they require a full rebuild? There were also fundamental differences between the old technology and Unity that demanded deep architectural changes across the entire codebase.

One of the most challenging aspects was optimizing Minion Rush for a wide variety of devices present on the market. We did our best to save visual quality for high and low-end devices without suffering performance and picture loss.

There was also a total rework of the game navigation and UI to make it more modern and to help players better orient themselves.

Was an update to the UI/UX necessary?

Anastasiia: Our decision to update the UI/UX in Minion Rush was an easy one. 
With the core mechanics shifting toward an endless-run focus, updated 3D graphics, and new technologies, we realized it was the perfect time to breathe new life into both the UI and user experience.

Interface interactions have become deeply integrated into our lives, and this growing integration has raised the demand for “good” UI/UX higher than ever before. The best UI is one that people barely notice — it quietly solves their problems like an invisible assistant that's always there for you without you realizing it. In other words, the best UI is a combination of user-friendly UX, outstanding UI art, and mind-blowing animation… and you can experience all of that in Minion Rush!

How did the UI/UX change?

Anastasiia: Our brilliant and incredibly talented UI and 2D artists created an entirely new UI style from scratch, so now, everything looks fresh, modern, and vibrant.

We carefully considered every move, keeping the needs of our players at the center of our decisions. We know how much our players adore the Minions, just like us! That’s why the main idea behind the UX redesign was to focus everything around our main characters.

Several features, such as Wardrobe, Collections, and Profile, fully reflect these new goals and approaches. For example, we redesigned the Minion interaction system to make it easier for users to select exactly the costume they want and view it in full screen, allowing them to appreciate all the micro-details our artists crafted with love and passion.

What’s new in terms of gameplay?

Alexandr: With new visuals, the gameplay began to feel different, so we added new game physics and inputs to make it feel extra fun. We also worked on evolving gameplay mechanics. For instance, we introduced new progression systems, diversified motivations, objectives, and more strategic event structures to keep engagement levels high.

Igor: Another area we’re excited about is the introduction of new power-ups and gadgets, which bring even more fun to the game. These additions aren't just functional, they are designed to feel over-the-top, unpredictable, and wildly entertaining. Whether it's a new gadget that changes how you dodge obstacles or a power-up that gives you a hilarious new way to smash through the course, these elements inject a fresh layer of strategy and surprise.

What are your favorite aspects of the update?

Oleksandr: It’s honestly tough to pick one thing since there has been so much, but it was especially rewarding to craft the locations that as fans we’d be excited to run through while earning collectible items.

Working on the visuals for the soft currency was also a proud moment. Even though it was a simple task, they were important because they are prominent throughout the game. They had to be uncompromisingly better, brighter, and more desirable than the legacy version, and I think we pulled it off quite successfully. It’s immensely rewarding to see the progress and evolution of the game’s visuals through all these images.

Anastasiia: The Collection menu is my personal favorite. There’s something incredibly satisfying about how seamlessly you can swipe through costumes while the selected Minion springs to life on the stage with gorgeous animations. It’s that beautiful UX moment when what you want to happen just happens, instantly and naturally, and it makes you fall in love with the game all over again.

Igor: I agree that the expanded Collections system is a deeply beloved addition. Collecting Minions has always been part of the fun, but now it taps even deeper into that nostalgic excitement many of us remember from childhood of completing a full set of toys, trading cards, or figures. It's a feature that resonates emotionally as well as mechanically, giving players long-term goals and a satisfying sense of achievement as they complete their favorite collections.

Any last words to the community?

Igor: The Massive Update is about reaffirming our commitment to our community. We want players, both longtime fans and new recruits, to enjoy a smoother, more polished experience and to know that Minion Rush will continue to grow, surprise, and delight for years to come.

Keeping Minion Rush exciting after all these years has been both a challenge and a passion project for our team. But our philosophy is clear: never stand still. We have so much more in store for our amazing community, and we can’t wait to share them when the time comes!