"Great opportunity to dive more into the shadier side": Richard Newbold discusses Jurassic World Evolution 2's Dominion Malta and more

Jurassic World Evolution 2 completed its anniversary last month, and the developers have consistently added fresh new updates to regale their community. Not only have they brought in new faces from the past that players have been able to introduce to their parks, but also interesting expansions such as the recently released Malta DLC.

I recently had the good fortune to pick the brains of Richard Newbold, the Game Director of Jurassic World Evolution 2, regarding the latest expansion and its mechanics, creating original narratives, introducing new dinosaurs, and plenty more.

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Richard Newbold talks about the latest Dominion Malta Expansion, a year of Jurassic World Evolution 2, and more

Q: Before diving into the Malta Expansion, I would love to know the creative thought process behind bringing the Dominion DLCs to life. How is it like weaving key narratives from the films into the games and creating an experience players will enjoy?

Richard: When approaching both of our Dominion Expansions, the team and myself identified the types of narratives or stories set in and around Jurassic World Dominion that we felt were perfect fits for Jurassic World Evolution 2.

We then worked with our wonderful partners at Universal on how a story or characters could weave together. It was great to be able to create original narratives that expanded upon the franchise.

With the Dominion Malta Expansion, we felt those incredible scenes in the middle of the movie were a great opportunity to dive more into the shadier side of dinosaurs now being out in the world while providing new features for Jurassic World Evolution 2’s core park management gameplay.

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Q: The Malta Expansion focuses on the Dinosaur Exchange – a commodification of dinosaurs now up for buying and selling. What drove the developers to introduce such a mechanic that shifts the focus from simply research and rehabilitation?

Richard: The Malta scenes in Jurassic World Dominion gave us a glimpse into how things have changed since dinosaurs escaped Lockwood Manor and now exist in the wider world.

Those scenes had us meet characters like Kayla Watts and Soyona Santos, people who have found a way to flourish in helping others trade or exchange dinosaurs.

We felt that the Exchange, and the concept of trading dinosaurs, eggs, and genomes, was an exciting way to alter our usual methods of dinosaur creation.

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Q: With each of the DLCs, the developers have added more and more new species to Jurassic World Evolution 2. How do you all decide who will be added with each update? Are the next prehistoric visitors already selected?

Richard: For our Expansions and the Camp Cretaceous Species Pack, we’ve drawn from the movies and animated series, respectively, as there was an amazing roster of new and exciting species that we wanted to add to the game.

For our other species packs, I look to balance species requested by our wonderful community with those that resonate with the development team, ensuring we provide players with a mix of different types of species and base them within a cohesive theme, such as the Late or Early Cretaceous Era.

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Q: Jurassic World Evolution 2 completed its anniversary last month. How has the developers’ experience been in developing the game through periodic updates over the year?

Richard: Since Jurassic World Evolution 2 came out in November 2021, it has been a really busy yet exciting time for the team. We’ve released numerous free updates, species packs, and now 2 Expansions based around Jurassic World Dominion.

Having the movie come out during the summer provided us with a great opportunity to produce our own original narratives and add a selection of incredible new species, including feathered dinosaurs.

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Q: How has the community feedback been to the game and all its subsequent DLCs up till now?

Richard: As we’ve continued to support the game since its release with more updates, we’ve been able to build upon the great success of our release while adding even more features and enhancements for our community, along with our species packs and expansions.

The reception from the community has been really positive, as we’ve been able to surprise them with additions they may not have been expecting, as well as create content based on the amazing characters, scenes, and species you saw in Jurassic World Dominion.

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Q: I know the developers will likely be tight-lipped regarding what is in store for the future, but any hint as to what players can expect in Jurassic World Evolution 2 next?

Richard: We’re really excited with the reception to the Dominion Malta Expansion and the free update and have nothing to announce regarding future improvements or features.

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Q: To finish off, what are the favorite dinosaurs among the developers?

Richard: Every developer seems to have their own favorites, but there’s definitely a lot of love for the Amargosaurus from the base game, with its unique spines running down its neck.

Other popular species include the Minmi, a cute small ankylosaurid from the Early Cretaceous Pack, and the Parasaurolophus Lux, the bioluminescent variant that glows in the dark, from the Camp Cretaceous Dinosaur Pack.