Scaling LEGO® Party!: How SMG Studio Launched Globally with Hathora

There are many reasons why LEGO® Party! is one of SMG Studio’s most ambitious games to date:

• The LEGO Group is one of the world’s most beloved brands, across all age groups
• Launching globally across Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, and PC
• Cross-platform online multiplayer (in addition to local multiplayer support!)
• Endless replayability with 60 minigames across a variety of themed LEGO sets

SMG Studio knew they wanted to maximize the potential of the game’s global reach, but with that came some major challenges. The indie studio based in Sydney knew that they wanted to find a partner to help navigate the challenges of their large-scale online launch.

“We had an amazing IP and game vision, but scaling multiplayer servers globally was new territory for us. We needed a partner who could help us plan, test, and launch with confidence.”
- James Milenkovic, Executive Producer for LEGO Party!

The Challenge: Ambition Meets Scale

SMG had a proven track record with creative, polished games, but LEGO Party! represented a leap in scope. For LEGO Party!’s launch, they needed to:

• Deliver a successful global launch, with scalable dedicated servers
• Ensure a smooth cross-platform multiplayer experience.
• Balance risk, scale, and cost effectiveness - all while keeping their internal team lean and focused.

After learning about Hathora’s strong experience with existing global launches as well as the platform’s ease of use and integration, SMG successfully onboarded and integrated with Hathora in the summer of 2024!

The Journey with Hathora

Like many studios using Hathora, SMG was able to start small with Hathora’s Explore tier. Not only did Hathora offer white-glove onboarding and direct engineering support, but Hathora was also able to help SMG keep server costs at a minimum during this development phase.

Once internal testing started to pick up for LEGO Party!, SMG switched to Hathora’s Pro tier. This enabled SMG to begin testing on a single-tenant, dedicated fleet which would match what they ultimately would launch on. During this phase, SMG was able to do regular playtesting, validation testing for console platforms, and even thorough load testing. For their load test, Hathora was able to help procure 2-week bare metal to ensure load tests that would closely match their launch day capacity.

As launch day approached, SMG and Hathora worked together to plan launch day capacity and estimate costs. Leveraging Hathora’s prior experience helping launch games, SMG was able to find an effective balance of flexibility and cost savings - a mix of short-term and long-term bare metal servers across multiple global regions. Shortly prior to the LEGO Party! launch, was when SMG ultimately moved to Hathora’s Enterprise tier.

Throughout, Hathora support was direct and hands-on: scheduled sync meetings, a private Slack channel, and launch-day planning and war rooms.

“Hathora felt like an extension of our team. Whether it was quick provisioning of servers for load tests or being on-call for our launch day, they gave us peace of mind at every step.”
- James Milenkovic, Executive Producer for LEGO Party!

Lessons for Other Studios

SMG’s journey illustrates that:

• Ambitious multiplayer doesn’t require a huge team. With the right infrastructure partner, even a lean studio can deliver a polished, global launch.
• Scaling is a journey. From prototype to playtest to enterprise-grade launch, Hathora provides a path that grows with your game.
• Support matters as much as tech. Infrastructure alone isn’t enough - having experts embedded in your launch process can make all the difference.

Celebrating LEGO Party!

We’re thrilled to celebrate SMG Studio and the launch of LEGO Party!. It’s now live worldwide on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch - and powered behind the scenes by Hathora.

• Go to https://legoparty.com/ to learn more about LEGO Party! and play on your favorite platform!

If your studio is planning a multiplayer launch, we’d love to talk about how Hathora can help you launch and scale with confidence.

• Hathora is complete free to try and get started: https://hathora.dev/