Critical Strike

Critical Strike

Critical Strike

Critical Strike is a F2P real time multiplayer first-person shooter game developed by Turkish game studio Vertigo Games. Players engage in strategic and fast-paced battles as two opposing teams, experiencing a unique competitive environment enhanced by modern graphics and a detailed game economy.
I worked as the sole Product Manager on Critical Strike CS: Online FPS during its most impactful growth period between 2021 and 2024. During my tenure, the game scaled significantly—reaching over 100 million downloads, generating $500K+ in monthly revenue, and maintaining a steady 20,000+ concurrent users at peak hours.

Game

Game

Game

Mobile

Mobile

Mobile

Shooter

Shooter

Shooter

F2P

F2P

Casual

Casual

Multiplayer

Multiplayer

F2P

F2P

Casual

Casual

Multiplayer

Multiplayer

Vertigo Games, 2021 - 2024

Role

Product Manager

Responsibilities

Product Management, Game Economy Design, Game UX Research & Design, Game Design, Live Ops, Data Analysis, A/B Testing, Localization, QA Testing, Team Management, Project Planning, Release Planning

Tools I Used

In this project, I was responsible for end-to-end product development and live service operations. My contributions covered a wide range of areas including:

  • Live Ops Design & Execution: Designed time-limited events, seasonal systems, and engagement-driven content pipelines.

  • Game & Economy Design: Developed and balanced in-game systems, progression, reward loops, and monetization structures.

  • A/B Testing & Data Analysis: Led experimentation across pricing models, feature releases, and UX flows; used telemetry and cohort data to drive decisions.

  • UX Design & Player-Centric Improvements: Conducted user research and usability testing to refine onboarding, controls, and core game loops.

  • Project Planning & Team Management: Managed product roadmap, collaborated with cross-functional teams, and aligned release cycles with strategic goals.

This role demonstrates my ability to scale and operate a high-performing live mobile game through data-informed product thinking, hands-on design work, and coordinated team leadership.

Update 12.7
Update 12.7
Update 12.7

Live Ops: Lunar New Year

February 2024

• Live Ops Event Plan
• Live Ops Offers Monetization
• New weapons, consumables and cosmetics Game Design
• Battle Pass Product, Game and Economy Design
• A/B Tests

Update 12.6
Update 12.6
Update 12.6

Live Ops: Winter Warfare

December 2023

• Live Ops Event Plan
• Live Ops Offers Monetization
• New weapons, consumables and cosmetics Game Design
• Battle Pass Product, Game and Economy Design
• A/B Tests

Update 12.5
Update 12.5
Update 12.5

Live Ops: Nightfall Duel

October 2023

• Live Ops Event Plan
• Live Ops Offers Monetization
• New weapons, consumables and cosmetics Game Design
• Battle Pass Product, Game and Economy Design
• A/B Tests

Update 12.3 & 12.4
Update 12.3 & 12.4
Update 12.3 & 12.4

Live Ops: Summer Vice

August 2023

• Live Ops Event Plan
• Live Ops Offers Monetization
• New weapons, consumables and cosmetics Game Design
• Battle Pass Product, Game and Economy Design
• A/B Tests
• Feature Update: Battle Pass Game & Economy Design UX Redesign
• New Feature: Seasonal Draw

Update 12.2
Update 12.2
Update 12.2

July 2023

• Feature Update: Daily Login Rewards Game, Economy & UX Design
• New Feature: Daily Login Streak Game, Economy & UX Design
• A/B Tests

Update 12.1
Update 12.1
Update 12.1

Live Ops: Underworld Ops

June 2023

• Live Ops Event Plan
• Live Ops Offers Monetization
• New weapons, consumables and cosmetics Game Design
• Battle Pass Product, Game and Economy Design
• A/B Tests
• New Feature: Playtime Rewards Game, Economy & UX Design
• Monetization Updates

Update 12.0
Update 12.0
Update 12.0

April 2023

• Feature Update: Rate Us Popup Game Design & Logic Update
• Monetization & Offer Flow Fixes
• New Feature: Boost System Game Design & UX Design
• Weekday Offers Monetization
• New Feature: Instant Upgrade Game, Economy & UX Design

Update 11.9
Update 11.9
Update 11.9

Live Ops: Wildwest

March 2023

• Live Ops Event Plan
• Live Ops Offers Monetization
• New weapons, consumables and cosmetics Game Design
• Battle Pass Product, Game and Economy Design
• A/B Tests
• Feature Update: Game End UX Flow Updates
• New Feature: Square Spin Game Design & UX Design
• Feature Update: Card Game Game Design and UX Redesign

Update 11.8
Update 11.8
Update 11.8

February 2023

• A/B Tests
• New Feature: Daily Deals Game Design & UX Design
• Feature Update: Free Rewards Game Design & UX Redesign
• New Feature: Level Based Offers Game Design & UX Design
• New Items: Special Weapons & Characters Game Design
• Live Ops: Lunar New Year Offers Monetization
• Feature Update: Missions Page Game Design & UX Redesign
• Feature Update: Arms Race to Battle Pass Game Design & UX Redesign
• UX Update: Game End UX Redesign

Update 11.7
Update 11.7
Update 11.7

Live Ops: Dark Frost

December 2022

• Live Ops Event Plan
• Live Ops Offers Monetization
• New weapons, consumables and cosmetics Game & Product Design
• Battle Pass (Arms Race) Product, Game and Economy Design
• A/B Tests
• Player Level System Update
• Missions Update: UX Design
• Feature Update: Weapon Level Up & Unlock UX Redesign & Game Design
• New Feature: Character System Game Design & UX Design
• New Feature: Clan Tournament Game Design & UX Design
• New: Tactical Consumables Game Design & UX Design
• New Feature: Clan Trophy & Skills Game Design & UX Design

Update 11.6
Update 11.6
Update 11.6

Live Ops: Halloween 2022

October 2022

• Live Ops Event Plan
• Live Ops Offers Monetization
• New weapons, consumables and cosmetics Game & Product Design
• Battle Pass (Arms Race) Product, Game and Economy Design
• A/B Tests
• New Feature: Special Weapons Game Design & UX Design
• New Game Mode: Control Point Game Design
• Missions Update: Control Points Missions
• New Feature: Inbox
• Game Tips Update
• Missions Update: Control Points Missions

Update 11.5
Update 11.5
Update 11.5

Live Ops: Summer

August 2022

• Live Ops Event Plan
• Live Ops Offers Monetization
• New weapons, consumables and cosmetics Game & Product Design
• Battle Pass (Arms Race) Product, Game and Economy Design
• A/B Tests
• Weapons Product Updates
• Game EndS Spin Product Updates
• Battle Pass UX Design Update
• Main Menu UX Design Update
• Clan Perks Game Design & UX Design
• Clan Updates Game Design & UX Design

Update 11.45
Update 11.45
Update 11.45

June 2022

• Live Ops Offers Monetization
• New weapons, consumables and cosmetics Game & Product Design
• Battle Pass (Arms Race) Product, Game and Economy Design
• A/B Tests
• No Ads Offers Monetization
• Daily Growth Offers Monetization
• Daily Supply Offers Monetization
• Subscription Product Update

Update 11.4
Update 11.4
Update 11.4

Live Ops: Easter

May 2022

• Live Ops Event Plan
• Live Ops Offers Monetization
• New weapons, consumables and cosmetics Game & Product Design
• Battle Pass (Arms Race) Product, Game and Economy Design
• A/B Tests

Update 11.3
Update 11.3
Update 11.3

April 2022

• Daily Rewards Product Update for Long Term Retention
• New Tactical Consumables Product Details and UX Design
• Game Economy Updates with new Offers and Live Ops Offers

Update 11.1
Update 11.1
Update 11.1

Live Ops: New Year 2021

December 2021

• Live Ops Event Plan
• Live Ops Offers for Monetization
• New weapons, consumables and cosmetics Game & Product Design
• Battle Pass (Arms Race) Product, Game and Economy Design

Update 11.0
Update 11.0
Update 11.0

November 2021

• Clan System Game Design and UX Design

Update 10.9
Update 10.9
Update 10.9

Live Ops: Halloween 2021

October 2021

• Live Ops Offers for Monetization
• New weapons, consumables and cosmetics Product Design
• Battle Pass (Arms Race) Product Details and Economy Design

Update 10.8
Update 10.8
Update 10.8

October 2021

• League System Game Design and UX Design
• Profile UX Design
• Weapon Cosmetics Product Updates
• Leaderboard UX Design
• Settings UX Design
• Global Chat UX Design

Update 10.7
Update 10.7
Update 10.7

August 2021

My very first major update. During this process, I assumed the following roles:
Product Manager, Game Designer, UX Designer, Researcher, Analyst, and Tester.
The features I worked on in the 10.7 update were:

• Daily Rewards UX Design & Product Update
• Consumables: New consumables Game Design, Arsenal UX Design for consumables
• Arsenal Inspect UX Design
• Game Modes Screen UX Design
• Card Game UX Design
• Arsenal New Stats Game Design and UX Design
• Arsenal Skins UX Design
• Game Search and Game Loading UX Design & Product Update
• Game Tips Design
• Lobby, Squad, and Private Room UX Design
• Lobby Tutorial UX Design
• Friends System Design and UX Design
• Friend Invite System Design & UX Design
• Referral System Game Design & UX Design

Start
Start
Start

March 2021

In March 2021, I started working as a Product Manager on the game Critical Strike at Vertigo Games, joining a small team of 5 members.

SKILLS GAINED

  • #Scrum

  • #Game Metrics

  • #KPIs

  • #Tableau

  • #Smartlook

  • #Sensor Tower

  • #Playfab

  • #Google Play Console

  • #Appstore Connect

  • #Game Analytics

  • #Firebase

  • #Sprint Planning

  • #Monetization

  • #Team Management

  • #QA Testing

  • #Localization

  • #A/B Testing

  • #Game Analysis

  • #Data Analysis

  • #Live Ops

  • #Game Design

  • #Game UX Design

  • #Game UX Research

  • #Game Economy

  • #Product Management

  • #Site Mapping

  • #Wireframe

  • #Excel

  • #Survey Design

  • #Competitive Analysis

  • #Prototype

  • #Play Testing