TMNT Splintered Fate Interview: The IP's Success Has Already Exceeded Devs' Expectations

Story Highlights

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate recently launched as a timed Nintendo exclusive.
The developers have already confirmed their plans to release the title on Steam before the end of the year.
We spoke with Tom Westall, Director of Product Management at Super Evil Megacorp, over an email Q&A session.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has done significantly well in the gaming industry over the years. While the franchise started over three decades ago, it remains highly popular to this day, with the latest video game entry coming out as an Apple Arcade exclusive last year.

After a long wait, the developers have started to release the game on multiple platforms. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate was recently released for Nintendo Switch with enhanced graphics and new features like a four-player co-op mode, making the title much more fun for its community.

To understand more about its development and the recent arrival on Switch, we spoke with Tom Westall, Director of Product Management at Super Evil Megacorp and Executive Producer for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate, over an email interview.

Could you introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your work?

Tom: I’m Tom, director of Product Management at Super Evil Megacorp and Executive Producer for TMNT: Splintered Fate. My main focus is to manage the roadmap and what’s upcoming for the team and then rally the team around our goals and lead them to success.

Given its successful launch on iOS last year, has Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate lived up to the team's expectations once more?

Tom: We’ve had a great time working on this game and the TMNT IP itself has exceeded our expectations this year and last. We’re really looking forward to bringing this title to a wider audience.

Can you share your thoughts on selecting Nintendo Switch as the exclusive platform for this title?

Tom: We were in conversations with a few platform holders, but we just loved how enthusiastic Nintendo was for the game. We loved the Switch as a team and it just felt like an amazing next step for the game.

TMNT: Splintered Fate Was Released Last Month As Timed-Nintendo Exclusive – Source: Super Evil Megacorp

Could you share details on the exclusivity period for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate on Nintendo Switch and when it might be released on other platforms?

Tom: We will launch the game on Steam for PCs and Steam Decks before the end of 2024. Keep an eye out for further announcements on other platforms in the future.

Can we expect the title to be released on last-gen consoles to meet an even larger audience?

Tom: We don’t have any news yet on this, but our ambition is to bring the game to as many players as possible.

Since the game was released as an Apple Arcade exclusive, did the team face any trouble while developing it for Switch?

Tom: At Super Evil Megacorp, we build all our games to be cross-platform from day 1. The first things we aim to perfect are the 3Cs, controls, camera, and character, and we do this on a wide variety of control inputs and screen sizes from very early on in the prototyping phase. Not only that, but all our games are built using the EVIL engine, our own proprietary engine, designed to run games smoothly on a broad range of devices, from low-end phones to high-end PCs. We knew starting on this project that we were very capable of bringing the game to new platforms and that it would look, run, and feel great on every platform.

Can we expect to see cross-progression support in the title?

Tom: This isn’t going to be something we support. But regardless of which platform you are on, you will be able to play co-op with anyone else on whichever platform they choose.

Do you have any updates to give on your next title? Are you currently working on any other projects?

Tom: Right now, we are excited to focus on the launch of TMNT: Splintered Fate on Switch! We also have big plans to continue to evolve the game by adding new features and new content and bringing the game to more players over time. That being said, we do have other projects in the work, such as our upcoming co-op action Rebel Moon game in partnership with Netflix, along with some other unannounced efforts brewing.

How do you think the arcade community has evolved over the recent decades? Moreover, do you think it is still a thriving community that game devs should not underestimate?

Tom: Our experience working with Apple Arcade has been great. We are continuing to collaborate with them on TMNT Splintered Fate, the positive player engagement has been great to see, and we will continue to provide updates to Apple Arcade players for the foreseeable future.

Do you have any updates to give on your next title? Are you currently working on any other projects?

Tom: No, we are currently focused on our July 17th Switch launch and releasing PC and Steam Deck before the end of this year.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate first launched on Apple Arcade in May last year and was recently released for Switch last month. While it’s still unknown when the game will launch on other consoles, it is planned to come out on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Steam Deck, and PC in the near future. We thank Tom Westall for taking the time to answer our questions and Enrique Garcia for helping with the interview.