Roblox Frontlines creator reveals how he made viral Call of Duty-inspired game

Roblox Frontlines creator Clarence Maximillian revealed to us how he made the viral Call of Duty-inspired game. Here’s the full interview.

Roblox’s expansive metaverse has been around for a number of years and has provided players with countless hours of enjoyment through its assortment of gaming experiences. The gaming platform has always pushed the envelope when it comes to providing creators with innovative tools to craft a perfect experience for players.

The free-to-play model attracts gamers from all over the world who enjoy playing games inspired by their favorite anime, such as Blox Fruits (One Piece), or other experiences, such as Frontlines (Call of Duty). While Blox Fruits gained popularity among anime fans who enjoy experiencing One Piece-inspired adventures, Frontlines attracted the notice of a larger fanbase of Call of Duty video games.

Frontlines is a First-Person Shooter (FPS) created in Roblox and inspired by the multiplayer game modes of Call of Duty titles. When the game was released, streamers and players could not believe the experience was created and published on Roblox, so it rapidly went viral.

Players were so impressed by the visuals and gameplay that they questioned whether they were actually playing Roblox or a genuine first-person shooter. Clarence Maximillian, a 24-year-old programmer who spoke with Dexerto about how he created the viral game on Roblox and other topics, is credited with this creation.

The spark that ignited the flame for Roblox Frontlines

Clarence told us that he has been playing Roblox since he was 9 years old, and he continues to play every day 15 years later. He elaborated on why he chose Roblox by stating, “The platform quickly became a creative outlet for me where I could experiment and try out different ideas when I had nowhere else to do so.”

He told us that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009), which was the first game he ever purchased, was the primary inspiration for Frontlines. Clarence was inspired to create a comparable Roblox game after a few hours of gameplay, but he was unable to at the time.

Now, fourteen years later, he is proud of his creation Frontlines, which he developed after learning how to use game design software and create realistic Roblox experiences. The popularity of Frontlines is primarily attributable to its gameplay mechanics and gunplay, which flawlessly emulate those of Call of Duty titles.

Clarence revealed that his grand-aunt was a perfectionist, and her desire to do things correctly rubbed off on him when he was asked how he replicated the COD game in Roblox so accurately. Similarly, he embodied this value and imparted it in his approach to refining the mechanics. “We go through thousands of iterations on every part of the game – including the mechanics”, Clarence elaborated.

“We’re here to create worlds and video games are just a part of that world”

Clarence went on to explain that he favors the term “experience creator” to “game developer.” He went on to describe how his next work is inspired by underground street culture. “We’re not only making a street racing video game, but will also host real-life parties, concerts, fashion shows, and more for people to enjoy”, he continued.

Furthermore, Clarence told us that he used Blender, Adobe Suite, Substance Painter, and Pro Tools to create the assets before porting them into Roblox when we inquired about his team and software to craft Frontlines. “When the studio was founded, I was in charge of all creative aspects and a programmer brought the vision to reality.”

He elaborated on his team, stating, “We grew to a core team of five people for Frontlines and approximately fifteen or more contractors.”

In addition, Clarence emphasized that their studio is “the only one that has been able to create the experience players receive from a $70 game and distribute it for free on Roblox.” Now that Roblox is available on PlayStation consoles, an unprecedented number of users have access to this free-to-play experience.

Clarence stated, in response to a question about whether he intends to optimize controls for PlayStation users, “I intend to collaborate closely with Japan. I have always enjoyed Sony products. We will ensure that PlayStation players receive the best conceivable experience.”

Roblox UGC and the future of Frontlines

While Clarence disclosed he was working on an open-world experience, he stated he had no future plans for Frontlines 2 or any similar first-person shooter. However, he believes that his next title will “completely alter the perception of Roblox and what is possible.”

Clarence also elaborated on how Roblox’s Creator Economy and UGC have been an enormous source of inspiration for them and how they “plan to help expand the amount of UGC content available on the platform by creating more tools for players to create within the experience”.

Frontlines is a free-to-play FPS shooter that is accessible on all devices Roblox is available. However, the game also requires you to purchase certain weapons early on, but as you progress, you acquire attachments for these guns and additional gameplay enhancements.