A special new dragon has arrived in Dragon Mania Legends!
Released in September as part of update 72, the Rolling Champion Dragon is the winning design of our internal diversity art contest: We Could Be Heroes! We created this contest in 2021 to implement more diverse and inclusive characters in our games in collaboration with our Gamelofters.
This year, in honor of the Olympic Games in Paris and the birthplace of Gameloft, we asked our Gamelofters to create a Para athlete for Dragon Mania Legends! We received many great ideas, but the design that received the most votes was by Maya Mihailova, a 2D artist from Gameloft Sofia!
Maya always wanted to work in gaming, and when she joined us back in 2008, it was a dream come true! She started her gaming career during the rise of mobile and remembers learning how to make pixel art through trial and error as this form of digital art wasn’t taught in her art academy back then. Now, Maya is part of the March of Empires team and works on GUI elements, such as menu icons, props, equipment items, and reward chests.
Taking up the challenge
This year’s theme for We Could Be Heroes immediately caught Maya’s attention. Her daughter is a big fan of Dragon Mania Legends, and Maya has always admired multiple aspects of the game’s visual stylization, so she thought it would be a fun challenge.
Maya did a lot of brainstorming for the type of Para athlete she wanted to highlight before settling on a dragon in a wheelchair. She found that wheelchair sports are some of the most popular during the Paralympic Games and thought the wheelchair’s silhouette would be perfect for the gameplay.
Maya included many thoughtful details to her design. “I wanted my character's head to have an aerodynamic shape, similar to a bicycle helmet but formed by the spikes on its head,” she said. “The color scheme is inspired by the logos of the Paralympic Games from this one and the previous years, which are colorful like the different sports and the athletes themselves.” She also wanted her design to be maneuverable but stable, which is why Maya added a small wheel under the tail for extra balance and an eye-catching accent to the design.
After her research, Maya drew some sketches before moving onto a 3D model, which she colored, rendered, and overpainted in Photoshop. She named her dragon Eiffel, now known as the Rolling Champion Dragon in Dragon Mania Legends! Born without the ability to fly or run, the Rolling Champion Dragon has always fascinated by speed and wanted to compete with its fellow dragons. With the help of its friends, it created a mobility device and now speeds along with the best of them!
Rolling into Dragolandia
When the Dragon Mania Legends team saw Maya’s dragon, they were thrilled. It was clear to them that a lot of thought and care went into the character, and they did their best to conserve Maya’s artistic intention while adapting it to the game’s art style.
Anna Tsukanova, senior 2D artist, was in charge of reworking Maya’s character to fit one of the 14 different dragon body shapes, and it was an easy process. Anna and the team didn’t need to make any significant changes, and the final design in-game is very similar to Maya’s original concept! Even so, the team showed Maya all the stages of development, and she was able to give her feedback and approval every step of the way.
The Rolling Champion Dragon is the first dragon in a wheelchair and is a symbol of the diversity already present in the game. “In Dragon Mania Legends, you can find all kinds of dragons: big and small, furry and feathered, with horns, claws, one eye, or even no eyes at all — there are a lot of amazing dragons,” said Iryna Bobkova, junior game designer. “I’m proud of this diversity because it shows how beautiful and equal we all are. I believe our new dragon reflects this and brings a message that inclusivity isn’t something to fear or hide—it’s something to embrace and show proudly.”
Sending a message
It has been a wonderful experience for Maya to see her design come to life in Dragon Mania Legends, and she’s particularly proud of the messages of unity and equality her dragon sends to the players. And really—what is a better game than Dragon Mania Legends, which is based on friendship and kindness, to highlight these values?
Dragon Mania Legends “stands for equity, tolerance, and inclusion,” said Anastasiya Matsevych, product marketing manager. “I’m really happy to communicate through the game that even in the fantastic world of Dragolandia there is a place for everyone. Many children play the game, and I’m glad to convey such a positive message to them through it.”
The rest of the game team agrees with the sentiment and sees the importance of initiatives like We Could Be Heroes. “Diversity and inclusion are essential in our industry, ensuring everyone feels represented and valued,” said Iryna. “We are all unique and wonderful in our own ways. Embrace and celebrate your inclusivity with confidence. Don’t be afraid—let your inclusivity be a shining example for others!”
Dragon Mania Legends has more diversity and inclusion initiatives in the works, so keep an eye out by following them on Discord, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube! Dragon Mania Legends is also available to play on mobile and PC.
