Metal hellsinger
BRIEFING
Publisher: Funcom
Developer: The Outsiders
Country target: UK, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal
Goal: Raise awareness about the game’s release on PC and console. Introduce the audience to Metal Hellsinger’s concept, mixing musical and shooter elements. Later on, promote the modding update, as well as a sales period.
Approach: Focus on creators who are into metal music while mixing in FPS fans, as well as communities that enjoy a hard-to-beat game. Build on the launch hype later on with modding updates featuring recurring creators. Push towards a sense of competition by launching a leaderboard campaign.
In the chaotic realm where infernal forces clash with melodic power, a unique fusion of brutality and harmony emerges—a game that transcends boundaries and redefines the very essence of interactive entertainment. A relentless journey through the depths of the underworld awaits you as we discuss our campaign covering Metal Hellsinger.
Metal Hellsinger stands out as a unique first-person shooter experience that immerses players in a fast-paced, adrenaline-pumping world of rhythm-infused combat. The FPS-style gameplay seamlessly integrates with the rhythm mechanics, requiring players to time their actions, such as shooting, dodging, and melee attacks, to the beat of the music. This innovative blend of genres creates a dynamic and engaging gameplay loop, where players must synchronize their actions with the rhythm to unleash devastating attacks and conquer waves of enemies. As the intensity of the metal soundtrack surges, so does the difficulty of combat encounters. This combination of intense gameplay and rhythmic intricacies creates an exhilarating and demanding experience that pushes players to the limits of their skills and reflexes.
Through its meticulously crafted stages, this campaign not only catered to its target audience but also brought together a diverse, worldwide community united by their shared love for metal music and exhilarating shooter gameplay. We aimed to have a global impact, and for that, we enlisted the help of well over 100 creators from different parts of the world. Creators we collaborated with creators like Elajazz, Hand of Blood, BarbarousKing, Tolkin, Momo, Bob Lennon, and many others.
One of the key elements of Metal Hellsinger, and thus the driving force behind this campaign, is its reverence for the legacy of metal. It doesn't shy away from the genre's roots; instead, it embraces them. Through meticulous collaboration and a shared commitment to artistic integrity, Metal Hellsinger successfully crafted a soundtrack that not only elevated the gameplay experience but also paid homage to the authenticity and power of metal music. By collaborating with household names such as Serj Tankian and Matt Heavy, the game ensured that metal enthusiasts were able to feel and relate to the genuine passion these artists infused the tracks with.
Spanning three distinct stages, the campaign was carefully orchestrated to maximize impact. The pre-launch phase offered access to multiple creators to enjoy and showcase the game to their viewers. We tapped into audiences that were not only going to love the music but also those that would appreciate the difficulty of the FPS title. The novelty of the game, paired with our selection of creators, created a buzz in the gaming community that fulfilled our main goal: bringing eyes onto Metal Hellsinger and hooking people onto the love of both metal and demon-slaying this game thrives on. This led to overwhelmingly good results spanning over 308k average cumulative CCV on Twitch, and an impressive 5.8 million views on YouTube.
As the campaign progressed, the modding stage emerged, providing a platform for the community to actively engage with the game's content and mechanics, further deepening their connection to the project. This stage allowed creativity to flourish as players could shape their own experiences within the game's world. With that in mind, we reached out to multiple music creators to create their own tracks that would be implemented into the game and shared with their community. Responding to the call, Dan Bull created an epic track, dusting off his guitar and bass, jumping head first into his “Holiday in Hell”. His audience followed through, appreciating both the music and the meticulous synchronization of the track to the demon-slaying in the game. One of our other creators, Jonathan Young rose up to the challenge as well. Going even further, he even created a music video for his track titled “Gates of Hell”. The video performed well above our expectations, and the dedication and effort that went behind it stood out to the community that absolutely embraced it.
The third step in the Metal Hellsinger campaign was where competition reigned supreme. Entering a special sales period, we reached out to multiple creators to participate in a leaderboard challenge. These creators, some we had already previously worked with and others that were just getting accustomed to the game, battled their way through the board playing on the hardest difficulty on a specific map. Their communities cheered them on as they tried again and again to beat each others’ records, embarking on an exhilarating journey of commitment and improvement. This ended up creating a healthy and competitive atmosphere, in which the creators managed to not only create memories but also reward their viewers for their support as the top three creators on the leaderboard were awarded gifted subscriptions.
The Metal Hellsinger campaign undeniably emerged as a triumph, but its significance goes beyond mere success. It served as a platform for us to explore the boundaries of our creativity and delve into the realm of musical content for the first time. The invaluable feedback we garnered from both the dedicated creators and the engaged communities that embraced the campaign has proven to be a well of profound insights. Overall, through both its results and its impact, Metal Hellsinger remains one of our favorite campaigns and a solid foundation for our future creative endeavors.
RESULTS
308k avg. cumulative CCV was generated on Twitch, with 5.8m views on YouTube.
Most creators ended up streaming longer than booked, indicating that they enjoyed playing the game.
Modding campaign led to metal creators making their own songs for the game; such as Dan Bull and Jonathan Young.
A successful leaderboard campaign where we challenged creators to complete a certain level with the highest score possible. Multiple creators loved the idea, going in several times to beat the top score.
BRIEFING
Country target: UK, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal
Goal: Raise awareness about the game’s release on PC and console. Introduce the audience to Metal Hellsinger’s concept, mixing musical and shooter elements. Later on, promote the modding update, as well as a sales period.
Approach: Focus on creators who are into metal music while mixing in FPS fans, as well as communities that enjoy a hard-to-beat game. Build on the launch hype later on with modding updates featuring recurring creators. Push towards a sense of competition by launching a leaderboard campaign.
