How Oh BiBi Built B.E.A.S.T. with Photon Fusion
Ever wondered what goes into crafting a hit multiplayer experience? We at Photon had the opportunity to chat with the team behind Oh BiBi, the creators of FRAG Pro Shooter, about their latest electrifying game, B.E.A.S.T.: Bio Exo Arena Suit Team, now tearing up the Nintendo Switch and which was recently rewarded with the Pégase 2025 award for Best Mobile Game. Our very own Photon Fusion engine played a key role in bringing this action-packed 3v3 hero shooter to life. Let’s dive into their journey.
Why Photon Fusion? A “Bridge” to Success
When you’ve got a decade of experience under your belt, like Oh BiBi, you know what works. They were no strangers to the Photon ecosystem, having previously used Photon Unity Network (PUN) and Quantum. So, why choose Fusion for BEAST? For them, it was a “no brainer” because for them. Fusion presented itself as a “bridge” between PUN and Quantum. This familiarity gave them a solid base for implementing online features right from the get-go, even with a new engine. Their experience with Quantum on past projects was particularly formative, especially when it came to “code sanity, quality, and architecture”.
Supercharging Development: Efficiency and Flexibility Unleashed
One of the great things about Fusion, according to the team at Oh BiBi, was its ability to let them “use almost the same code for different network paradigms”. They actually started development using Client Host, then moved to Dedicated Server, and finally settled on the Shared mode for launch – with the possibility of even going back to Dedicated Server later. This kind of adaptability is a “game-changer” in the fast-paced world of game development.
Another major win was that Fusion “lived” within Unity while still providing a “very solid network synchronization platform”. This meant that most of their developers could interact with it when coding gameplay without getting bogged down in excessive overhead. Plus, the ability to use Unity and traditional plugins like 3D physics and AI behaviors as a foundation for the network simulation “eased production a lot”.
Leveling Up the Multiplayer Experience: Mechs and Mayhem
So, how did Fusion actually impact the gameplay in BEAST? While they described BEAST as a “rather classical PvP TPS”, they highlighted that some unique features were made possible by Fusion. Take the Payload game mode, for example. Fusion’s “state/input authority” transfer requests made it surprisingly easy to implement the ability to control a “map entity” – the Payload mecha. This adds a whole new layer of strategic depth to the matches.
The team also pointed out that “offering a strong multiplayer gaming experience without needing to learn too much about the intricacies of online game development was absolutely beneficial” for their team. This allowed them to focus on creating fun and engaging gameplay without getting lost in the networking weeds.
Challenges and Future Wishlist: Keeping it Real
Of course, no development journey is without its hurdles. Oh BiBi shared some of the challenges they faced and even offered some valuable feedback for us. One issue involved “synchronizing prefab library states” between different versions of the game, leading them to create their own hashing system as a workaround. They also encountered challenges with “Shared Mode authority”, where sometimes the original game master would leave or have poor connectivity. This prompted them to code their own authority algorithm to ensure a smoother experience, though they still saw instances of two players having authority over the same objects.
Interestingly, they even “coded their own SQL matchmaking algorithm”, as they were used to this from their experience with PUN. Lastly, they mentioned “issues with Addressables AssetReferences” when spawning network prefabs, which led them to create their own lookup table.
Looking ahead, their feedback for future updates mainly revolves around “fixes for these aforementioned issues”. Honest and direct feedback like this is invaluable to us as we continue to evolve Photon Fusion.
Final Thoughts: A Roaring Success Story
From its accessible design inspired by Saturday morning cartoons to its intense 3v3 multiplayer battles, BEAST is a testament to Oh BiBi’s talent and vision. We’re incredibly proud that Photon Fusion played a crucial role in bringing their exciting ideas to life, offering them the “flexibility, efficiency, and power” needed to create a truly engaging multiplayer experience. Stay tuned for more stories from the amazing developers who are shaping the future of gaming with Photon.
Ready to build your own successful multiplayer game? With Fusion and Quantum by Photon, it’s never been easier to integrate cutting-edge multiplayer features into your project. We offer the industry’s most advanced tools, comprehensive support, and everything you need to get started – from downloadable samples to detailed documentation.
Take the first step today – download Fusion or download Quantum and start building. If you’re looking for in-depth assistance, join our Gaming Circle, where you can connect directly with our developers and get expert guidance throughout your journey.
Your multiplayer success story starts here!
