Battle new bosses, earn an all-new Minion, and show your mischievous side across multiple events commemorating Minion Rush’s 10 year anniversary!
PARIS, FRANCE - June 8, 2023 – Gameloft, in collaboration with Illumination and Universal Games and Digital Platforms, announced that the hit mobile game inspired by Illumination and Universal Pictures’ popular Despicable Me franchise – Minion Rush – is celebrating its 10 year anniversary with immersive new challenges, exclusive in-game rewards, limited-time events, and more, leading to a special in-game experience honoring the real-world attraction, Illumination’s Villain-Con Minion Blast - opening this summer at Universal Orlando Resort.
In Minion Rush, the Minions are ready to make this anniversary one to remember, and to do that, they have decided to carve the face of Gru onto the surface of the Moon, which will require players to help them collect oxygen tanks, hammers, as well as parts to build a rocket and laser. Once they celebrate Gru, they’ll head to the United States to rebuild a playground in the park and play popular U.S. sports – basketball, baseball, and football – and win The USA Trophy.
Minion Rush will also feature new limited-time in-game events with fun globe-spanning banana collecting across various countries throughout the year including Indonesia, Mexico and Italy, as part of the Minion Rush World Tour. Multiple tiers of in-game rewards will be available during these events including unlocking an all-new playable Minion in the game, the dual-eyed and spiky-haired Phil.
Last, but certainly not least, the Minions will arrive at Illumination’s Villain-Con Minion Blast later this year where they’ll take on special missions inspired by the real-world attraction opening at Universal Orlando Resort this summer. More details about this event will be shared soon.
Since launching a decade ago, Minion Rush has become one of the most popular and widely downloaded mobile games of all time with over 1 billion downloads across iOS, Android, and other supporting platforms, making it the first game based on a film property to hit that milestone. This was achieved in part due to its engaging gameplay, charming graphics, and lovable characters. Minion Rush also received many awards, including the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award for Favorite App in 2014, BAFTA Kids’ Vote Game Winner in 2013 and a nomination for Favorite Mobile Game at the 42nd Annual People's Choice Awards in 2016.
Minion Rush is free to download, with in-app purchases, on the App Store and Google Play. To celebrate the 10 year anniversary, players can use the following link on their mobile devices to earn some special in-game rewards beginning today on iOS and soon to Android devices: https://minionrush.page.link/Summer_Gift.
For more information regarding Minion Rush and the 10 year anniversary Minion Rush World Tour, please visit: https://minionrush.com/.
About Gameloft
Leader in the development and publishing of games, Gameloft® has established itself as a pioneer in the industry, creating innovative gaming experiences for over 20 years. Gameloft creates games for all digital platforms, from mobile to cross-platform titles for PC and consoles. Gameloft operates its own established franchises such as Asphalt®, Dragon Mania Legends, Modern Combat and Dungeon Hunter and also partners with major rights holders including LEGO®, Universal, Illumination Entertainment, Hasbro®, Fox Digital Entertainment, Mattel®, Lamborghini®, and Ferrari®. Gameloft distributes its games in over 100 countries and employs 3,600 people worldwide. Every month, 58 million unique users can be reached by advertisers in Gameloft games with Gameloft for brands, a leading B2B offering dedicated to brands and agencies. Gameloft is a Vivendi company.
About Illumination
Illumination, founded by Chris Meledandri in 2007, is the entertainment industry’s leading producer of event-animated films, including The Super Mario Bros. Movie, the first film of 2023 to earn more than $1 billion worldwide, Despicable Me—the most successful animated franchise in cinematic history—as well as Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch and The Secret Life of Pets and Sing films. Illumination’s revered studio library includes three of the top 10 animated films of all time.
In April 2023, Nintendo and Illumination’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie opened to a staggering $377.5 million worldwide—the biggest animated global film opening weekend of all time—and set new records as the biggest opening weekend in Illumination history, the biggest domestic, international and global opening of 2023 so far, the biggest Easter weekend opening ever and the biggest video-game adaptation opening ever.
Illumination is now responsible for the two biggest animated opening weekends of the pandemic era, and The Super Mario Bros. Movie is currently the highest grossing film, in any genre, of 2023.
Illumination’s iconic, beloved franchises—infused with memorable and distinct characters, global appeal and cultural relevance—have grossed more than $9 billion worldwide. Illumination has an exclusive financing and distribution partnership with Universal Pictures. Illumination’s upcoming films include Migration in December 2023 and Despicable Me 4 in summer 2024.
About Illumination’s Despicable Me & Minions
More than ten years after their creation, Gru, the world’s greatest supervillain, and the Minions are among the most iconic animated characters of their generation. Globally recognized and beloved by fans of all ages, they have propelled Illumination’s Despicable Me and Minions into the most successful animated film franchise in history, earning more than $4.6 billion at the worldwide box office.
The franchise includes Minions, one of the top five highest-grossing animated films of all time and the most profitable film in Universal’s history, as well as the Academy Award®- nominated Despicable Me 2 and Despicable Me 3, which made more than $1 billion at the global box office. The franchise’s most recent film, Minions: The Rise of Gru, shattered box office records with the highest grossing July 4th opening weekend in U.S. history and became the #1 film internationally and worldwide.
Gru is one of the few protagonists who is also an antagonist, whose sweet and subversive qualities make him relatable to all audiences. Bright yellow, instantly unforgettable, speaking a language that no one knows but that everyone can understand, the Minions— including Kevin, Bob, Stuart and Otto —have become icons of self-expression in pop culture on every continent of the globe.
Beneath the over-the-top antics and seemingly misguided intentions of the Minions, the franchise explores themes of loyalty, friendship and an unspoken narrative about the families we choose and devote ourselves to defending. The franchise reflects the idea that whoever you are, or whatever your dreams, you can find your tribe and become a family, no matter how unconventional.
About Universal Games and Digital Platforms
Universal’s Games and Digital Platforms group leverages the vast portfolio of IP and characters from NBCUniversal. The Games and Digital Platforms group is a business unit of Universal Products & Experiences (UP&E), which is chartered with globally expanding the company's intellectual properties, franchises, characters and stories through innovative physical and digital products, engaging retail and product experiences across our expansive global theme park destinations (for both owned and 3rd party IP), location-based venues, e-commerce product platforms, and retailers around the world. Along with global brand strategy and creative, UP&E’s three lines of business include Consumer Products, Games and Digital Platforms, as well as Theme Parks Products & Retail. The company's extensive portfolio includes properties created by Universal Pictures, Illumination, DreamWorks Animation, and NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. UP&E is part of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation. www.universalproductsexperiences.com.
