Welcome to DMK Behind the Scenes!
Through interviews with our team members, we’re celebrating 10 years of Disney Magic Kingdoms and the passion, creativity, and teamwork that brought the game to life. And this is just the beginning — even more magic is coming in the future!
Yuliia Kolpakova, Lead Game Designer
When you first started working on DMK, what part of the game did you dive into first, and what stood out to you from your professional perspective?
I wanted to get an experience as close as possible to what our players have—playing honestly, without rushing and without relying on guides or the Wiki. I grew up watching Disney and Pixar movies, so I was immediately very engaged with the game. I was genuinely impressed by the team’s attention to detail. For example, the little “high-five” gesture when upgrading a character—it’s a small touch, but it adds so much personality and helps set the right mood. I really enjoyed exploring the game and diving into its mechanics step by step.
What’s one part of the game that players might not realize takes a lot of work?
A lot of time goes into smaller technical tasks tied to regular content updates—things like adding new characters to the game, assigning their dialogues, quests, and activities, and localizing all of that content. At this stage, many different departments and a large number of people within the game design team are involved, each contributing their part to the ongoing updates. I’m often inspired by the fact that each of us works on a small piece, and in the end, it all comes together into one cohesive and beautiful whole.
Do you have an update, event, or feature you’re especially proud of contributing to?
I’m proud of every change we make to the game—from adding a new character to releasing features like Pin Collections. On a more personal level, being involved in the addition of the new Cars Land was especially meaningful to me. It’s something players had been waiting for for a very long time, and we really wanted to fill it with lots of small references and nods to the original movies to preserve the true spirit and tone of the Cars franchise. I’m very happy I was able to be a part of that.
How does the player community influence your team’s current priorities or creative direction?
We pay very close attention to the life of our community. Thanks to our community managers, we have access to real, up-to-date, and meaningful feedback from our players. We absolutely listen to it, because we understand that a game lives as long as people are playing it.
On a personal note, I often start my mornings with a cup of coffee while reading posts on Reddit and Discord. I truly hope players will continue to share their thoughts openly and honestly, and in return, we’ll keep doing our best to bring their best ideas and wishes to life.
What’s the most rewarding part of your job?
What makes my job incredibly rewarding is simply being part of such a big and vibrant game. That feeling becomes especially strong when I read positive feedback or messages of gratitude from the community—moments like that remind me that I’m on the right path and that my work truly matters.
And of course, there’s one more thing—the fact that watching my favorite Disney and Pixar movies is actually part of my job.
Daria Hyria, Product Manager
When you first started working on DMK, what part of the game did you dive into first, and what stood out to you from your professional perspective?
I started at Gameloft in 2019, and Disney Magic Kingdoms always stood out to me because I’m a huge Disney and Pixar fan.
When I first joined the team, the very first thing I did was play the game extensively. I focused on understanding the in-game economy, analyzing what players enjoy most. One of the aspects of the game I quickly realized as the core of the experience was collection. I wanted to make sure that every entity in the game served this clear purpose. This naturally led me to focus on the content lifecycle and the synergy between content, features, and events.
What’s one part of the game that players might not realize takes a lot of work?
One area players might not realize takes a lot of work is deciding what content comes next. This work happens largely behind the scenes, but it’s driven by listening closely to player feedback and understanding what keeps the game fun and engaging over time. The team is always looking for ways to introduce new characters and IPs that fans love and have been looking forward to seeing in DMK, while making sure each update feels rewarding and meaningful for players.
Do you have an update, event, or feature you’re especially proud of contributing to?
I’m proud of all the changes we’ve made to Disney Magic Kingdoms over the past couple of years. This includes features such as the dynamic choice option in the Pass, the Dreamland quest, Pins, and the Story Pass. These changes and experiments with content and features planning have shown positive sentiment from our players, and they are all the result of strong teamwork across the studio.
How does the player community influence your team’s current priorities or creative direction?
Significantly. We have a well-established community process, so we’re always aware of player feedback, initiatives, and overall sentiment. Player input plays an important role in shaping our future roadmap, both in terms of content and features. We actively work to bring back characters players miss and introduce changes that refresh the gameplay experience and bring more joy to our users.
What’s the most rewarding part of your job?
The most rewarding part of my job is the entire process—from creating a feature to launching it and seeing the results. I especially love it when a feature is received really positively, and you can truly feel that all the hard work has paid off. I also value the creative freedom the role offers and the positive feedback we receive from players on our decisions. Above all, what makes it truly special is the team I work with. I have fantastic colleagues, and collaborating with them makes every challenge exciting and enjoyable.
Hanna Lutsko, Lead Developer
When you first started working on DMK, what part of the game did you dive into first, and what stood out to you from your professional perspective?
When I first started working on Disney Magic Kingdoms, I had to dive into many areas at once: preparing builds, setting up infrastructure, resolving technical issues, supporting existing features, and developing new ones. It was both challenging and exciting. This variety of tasks is a great opportunity to learn, grow, and develop new skills.
What’s one part of the game that players might not realize takes a lot of work?
Quite a lot, actually. Sometimes, adding what appears to be a small button with simple functionality can require writing a significant amount of code across multiple programming languages. Much of this work is completely invisible to players. It’s similar to a building—people admire the walls and the garden, but rarely think about the foundation that holds everything together.
Do you have an update, event, or feature you’re especially proud of contributing to?
Every feature feels like a small win, including technical improvements that players may not directly notice. These behind-the-scenes optimizations play a crucial role in helping us deliver new features faster and with higher quality.
How does the player community influence your team’s current priorities or creative direction?
We do our best not only to fix major bugs, but also to understand which quality-of-life improvements truly matter to our players. Their feedback is incredibly valuable and plays a key role in making the game better. We greatly appreciate our players’ input and actively look for ways to incorporate their suggestions into our priorities whenever possible.
What’s the most rewarding part of your job?
The most rewarding part of my job is seeing features we’ve worked hard on come to life. Knowing the challenges involved—the code, the discussions, and the journey from technical documentation to a fully realized feature enjoyed by so many players—is incredibly satisfying. The best moment is seeing players enjoy the result. And of course, I truly love the entire process of collaborating with our amazing team.
Volodymyr Kononov, Lead Game Developer
When you first started working on DMK, what part of the game did you dive into first, and what stood out to you from your professional perspective?
I joined Gameloft in 2009, and now as a part of Disney Magic Kingdoms team, I have the pleasure of working as the Lead Game Developer. From the very first steps on this project, almost everyone on the team was involved in learning how to add new content to the game from the perspective of their respective departments, and I was no exception. We were all full of ideas and excitement—and still are—and couldn’t wait to share them with players.
I was particularly impressed by the sheer number of characters and attractions in the park, each with their own set of unique and appealing animations. This number continues to grow with every update.
What’s one part of the game that players might not realize takes a lot of work?
I would highlight the work that happens outside of the game itself. Preparing the game application that users download from the stores requires a significant amount of invisible effort. Each platform—iOS, Android, and Windows—requires the application to be built differently, with its own rules and technical specifics. These platform requirements evolve constantly, and the game has to evolve alongside them. This work ensures that players can access their kingdoms wherever and whenever they want, making the game truly multi-platform and seamless across devices.
Do you have an update, event, or feature you’re especially proud of contributing to?
I’m involved in the entire game during every update, across every feature and event. Because of that, it’s impossible for me to single out one specific contribution. Each newly released update always feels like the best one, and the upcoming update we’re currently working on always feels like the most important.
How does the player community influence your team’s current priorities or creative direction?
The community plays a noticeable role in both development and testing. Our players are always full of ideas and suggestions. We all play the game ourselves—not only as developers, but also as players—and it’s always a pleasure to see an idea for improvement resonate with a community of like-minded people.
What’s the most rewarding part of your job?
I’ll be a little selfish here—the most rewarding part is when a new update goes live in the stores, and I can enjoy the new events and features as a player myself.
Veronika Davydenko (Neko), Senior Game Community Manager
When you first started working on DMK, what part of the game did you dive into first, and what stood out to you from your professional perspective?
As a millennial who grew up with Disney and Pixar movies, I was immediately thrilled by how many incredible characters and iconic attractions were already in the game. The fan-favorite character interactions, heartwarming dialogue, and charming Easter eggs stood out right away. It was clear that the game was created with a great deal of love and respect for the original material.
Disney Magic Kingdoms community is also very special, even among Disney games—many long-time players have an impressive understanding of the game’s mechanics and actively strategize to prepare for events.
What’s one part of the game that players might not realize takes a lot of work?
Community reports. Every day, we receive hundreds of comments across our social media channels, and we carefully gather valuable feedback, suggestions, and ideas to create clear and informative reports for the Disney Magic Kingdoms development team. We understand that our work directly impacts whether players are heard and which ideas may influence future development, so we take great care in preparing these reports.
Do you have an update, event, or feature you’re especially proud of contributing to?
Some of my contributions may not be immediately visible, but I’m proud to say that, in part thanks to my work, several long-requested characters and quality-of-life improvements have been added to the game’s planning.
How does the player community influence your team’s current priorities or creative direction?
As a Game Community Manager, my role is to act as a bridge between our players and the development team. I’m extremely grateful to our players for consistently sharing their experiences, thoughts, and suggestions in a constructive way. Having such a dedicated, considerate, and kind community is a privilege, and every day I strive to earn and maintain their trust.
What’s the most rewarding part of your job?
On one hand, I’m fortunate to work with such a wonderful and supportive community. Even when issues arise, most players remain polite and understanding, and seeing their appreciation for even small things I can help with is incredibly rewarding. On the other hand, our development team is deeply committed to listening to the community. They continuously work on improvements and features requested by players, and future updates are always planned with players in mind. I’m truly happy to be part of such a dedicated and passionate team.
Tymur Brynzevych, Senior Motion Designer
When you first started working on DMK, what part of the game did you dive into first, and what stood out to you from your professional perspective?
I began by working on marketing trailers and videos. What stood out immediately was how much heart and nostalgia the Disney and Pixar characters bring. This allows us to focus not just on gameplay, but also on emotion and storytelling, which is incredibly inspiring.
What’s one part of the game that players might not realize takes a lot of work?
Turning in-game content into cinematic, story-driven videos takes a lot of creative iteration behind the scenes. Finding the right mood, pacing, and emotional beats requires careful planning, experimentation, and collaboration to ensure every moment resonates with players.
Do you have an update, event, or feature you’re especially proud of contributing to?
For me, the Avatar update stands out. We wanted to make sure we depict the iconic James Cameron's cinematic universe right, it became an opportunity to explore a more cinematic and expressive direction for DMK marketing, expanding how we tell stories within the game’s universe.
How does the player community influence your team’s current priorities or creative direction?
The community’s passion and feedback help guide our creative choices. Players' input reminds us which characters, moments, and emotions matter most, ensuring that our videos and campaigns connect meaningfully with the audience.
What’s the most rewarding part of your job?
Helping bring a bit of Disney like magic to life through visuals—creating moments that feel warm,memorable, and emotionally engaging for players.
Valeria Lebed, Product Marketing Manager
When you first started working on DMK, what part of the game did you dive into first, and what stood out to you from your professional perspective?
Disney Magic Kingdoms is a large project with a rich history and a loyal fan base, so it was quite overwhelming at first. You have to juggle getting familiar with the game, understanding the audience, and making changes carefully.
One of the first things that stood out to me was the newsletter campaign. It felt like a great place to start and an opportunity to improve something meaningful. Over the past year, we’ve experimented with different designs and added regular gifts for our loyal fans—something players now look forward to with every update.
What’s one part of the game that players might not realize takes a lot of work?
Update Trailers! Sometimes a short video can take weeks to produce, but the goal is always to showcase the characters and new content in the most exciting way for players. With each trailer, we try to be creative and highlight the unique atmosphere of the collection and the characters we introduce. These trailers give fans a glimpse of their favorite characters in action, build anticipation for upcoming updates, and make the game world feel even more vibrant and engaging.
Do you have an update, event, or feature you’re especially proud of contributing to?
The Zootopia update in November 2025 stands out for me. It was aligned with the release of Zootopia 2, and we couldn’t think of a better way to promote it than through trailers shown in cinema theaters. If you went to see the movie and caught the Disney Magic Kingdoms trailer, we’d love to hear what you thought!
How does the player community influence your team’s current priorities or creative direction?
The community is who we create the game for. Player opinions are extremely important and directly influence how we plan our campaigns. They help us understand what players pay attention to, what matters to them—not just as players, but as people. Knowing their interests and habits is crucial, and thankfully, we have a very open and engaged community that regularly shares its thoughts with us.
What’s the most rewarding part of your job?
It’s hard to highlight just one thing. Being part of such a great team and having the opportunity to contribute to a game like Disney Magic Kingdoms is already a reward in itself. And let’s be honest—who wouldn’t feel rewarded coming to work to discuss characters and movies they were obsessed with as a kid?
Yana Lisova, 3D Artist
When you first started working on DMK, what part of the game did you dive into first, and what stood out to you from your professional perspective?
My first task was creating an environment asset. What stood out to me right away was how much room there is to build personality and narrative into the environments. Whether it’s through shape language, color, or small decorative details, each asset is a chance to enrich the world and support the game’s storytelling. It was exciting to contribute to environments that feel both playful and immersive while helping expand the visual variety of the game.
What’s one part of the game that players might not realize takes a lot of work?
Players may not realize how much care goes into making assets feel simple and natural within the game world. Every prop goes through multiple iterations, technical checks, and close collaboration to ensure it works seamlessly with gameplay, performance constraints, and the overall Disney and Pixar look and feel.
Do you have an update, event, or feature you’re especially proud of contributing to?
I’m especially proud of how my team and I worked on the park expansion inspired by Cars. It was exciting to help bring this land to life and finally make more space for players. Especially, it was especially fun to hide many small Easter eggs — subtle visual references and details that reward curious players. Seeing fans discover them makes the work feel truly meaningful. Also I’m proud of the game design team for continuously finding new ways to refresh the experience and keep both long-time and new players engaged. Their ability to introduce new features while respecting the charm and legacy of the game is truly impressive and inspiring to work alongside.
How does the player community influence your team’s current priorities or creative direction?
I personally read comments on Instagram under posts featuring my models. Seeing positive feedback, or players wishing to see an asset used in a quest, is incredibly motivating. It’s a great reminder that even small details can spark excitement and a strong connection with the community.
What’s the most rewarding part of your job?
The most rewarding part is knowing my work becomes part of a world that brings joy to millions of players. Being trusted to contribute creatively, while collaborating with a supportive and talented team, makes every asset feel meaningful and reinforces my pride in being part of Disney Magic Kingdoms.
Pavlo Markevych, 3D Animator
When you first started working on DMK, what part of the game did you dive into first, and what stood out to you from your professional perspective?
I started working on Disney Magic Kingdoms a year and a half ago, and the first character I worked on was Reuben from the animated film Lilo & Stitch. In my opinion, one of the most important animations is the character introduction—the moment when the player sees a character for the first time in the game.
What’s one part of the game that players might not realize takes a lot of work?
A large portion of the work that players never see happens during character preparation. This includes researching the concept, discussing basic poses, and defining how the animations should look and feel. Only after all of the characters emulate the essence of Disney and Pixar animated characters, do we begin animating, and only then do players see the final result of our work.
Do you have an update, event, or feature you’re especially proud of contributing to?
It’s hard to single out one specific animation, as I’m proud of contributing to many of them across different features and updates. Each animation helps showcase each character's personality and presence in the game. Most recently, I worked on characters such as Disney's Dawn Bellwether from Zootopia 2 and Tiana from The Princess and the Frog in Adventure Costume, it’s been especially rewarding to see how these characters come together through animation to enrich the overall player experience.
How does the player community influence your team’s current priorities or creative direction?
When I see YouTube videos from players featuring characters I animated, it inspires me to create more engaging animations. Moments like these help me realize that our work evokes real emotions and is meaningful to people.
What’s the most rewarding part of your job?
It is incredibly rewarding to be part of the big and exciting world that Gameloft creates in Disney Magic Kingdoms — a world that reminds us of the wonderful times of our childhood, watching Disney and Pixar's beautiful animated movies.
Mariia Somenko, Junior UI/UX Designer
When you first started working on DMK, what part of the game did you dive into first, and what stood out to you from your professional perspective?
When I first joined DMK, I was pleasantly surprised by how motivated and supportive the team was. Everyone is very open to collaboration, which makes working on the game genuinely enjoyable.
What’s one part of the game that players might not realize takes a lot of work?
In reality, thinking through small design details often takes more time than it might seem. Planning the overall flow of an event is usually quicker than figuring out how the game should respond in all the little moments players might encounter. While these details are less visible, they play a major role in making the experience feel smooth and consistent for players.
Do you have an update, event, or feature you’re especially proud of contributing to?
The Story Pass was the very first event I worked on as a UX (User Experience) Designer, and I was incredibly excited leading up to its release. It quickly became something special to me, and I still follow every update closely while keeping an eye on player feedback and comments.
How does the player community influence your team’s current priorities or creative direction?
I think the community may not always realize how much influence it has on certain decisions. Player feedback often shapes our discussions and priorities, and we genuinely try to take comments and suggestions into account whenever possible.
What’s the most rewarding part of your job?
I love design because it allows me to act as an “advocate” for the players, focusing on the most intuitive and comfortable ways to use the interface. It’s also amazing to see your concepts and ideas come to life in the game thanks to the collaboration between developers, artists, and fellow designers—it truly feels magical.
Thank you so much for reading! See you in Disney Magic Kingdoms!
