Pre-Release QA for a Multiplayer Action Game
A team of 27 mobile-gaming testers ran exploratory, regression and performance testing on iOS and Android ahead of launch, surfacing performance, gameplay and UI/UX problems before players did.
SPECIALIST TESTERS ON THE ENGAGEMENT
27
The project
- GAME
- Multiplayer action game with unique character abilities
- TEAM
- 27 testers selected for mobile-gaming expertise
- PLATFORMS
- iOS and Android, across a variety of devices
- TESTING
- Functional, performance and usability
- STAGE
- Before release
THE LOAD QUESTION
Thirty-three players, one session
Teams of up to 33 players can play together, so a key question was how the game behaves when every one of them joins at the same time.
33
METHOD
How the testing ran
- PHASE 1
Choosing the team
27 testers were selected for their expertise in mobile gaming and their eye for critical issues.
- PHASE 2
Exploratory testing
Wide-ranging play to find the high-level issues quickly.
- PHASE 3
Regression and performance testing
A deeper pass on the areas exploration pointed to, with attention on performance and functional behaviour.
- ALL PHASES
Devices and operating systems
A variety of iOS and Android devices, so findings reflect what players actually run.
FINDINGS
What the testing found
Lag, multiplayer behaviour and multi-location play stood out as the major themes.
Performance issues
Frame-rate drops and stuttering hindered gameplay, especially on low-end devices.
Gameplay bugs
Critical bugs affected character abilities and progression.
UI and UX issues
Confusing menus and inconsistent navigation left players confused and frustrated.
OUTCOME
What the team handed over
The reported bugs and glitches were subsequently fixed by the development team.
Detailed bug reports
Developers could reproduce and fix the critical gameplay issues.
Performance recommendations
Guidance on optimising performance and addressing the frame-rate problems.
UI and UX recommendations
Suggested improvements to the interface and the overall player experience.
Fixes prioritised
The findings let the developers decide which bug fixes mattered most.
AI-DRIVEN QA
How AI-driven QA strengthens game testing
Where AI-assisted quality engineering adds reach to an expert tester team. Every AI suggestion is checked by a QA engineer before it affects a release.
Device-matrix prioritisation
AI ranks devices and operating-system versions by risk, so low-end hardware is covered first.
Automated frame-rate and log analysis
AI scans session telemetry for stutter and lag patterns that testers can then reproduce.
Multiplayer load scenarios
Simulated sessions up to the full player count, with AI helping design join and drop patterns.
Visual and UI regression checks
Computer-vision comparison flags broken menus and layouts after each build.
Tools and technologies
- iOS
- Android