Supercell is a global leader in mobile gaming with its hit titles, Clash of Clans and Clash Royale, but the publisher is celebrating its unique characters and in-game worlds with a brand-new animated show on YouTube, 360-degree experiences and a line of merchandise. As always, the brand doesn’t take itself too seriously—continuing a strategy of humor that audiences have come to enjoy from its various TV commercials, especially the Liam Neeson “Revenge” Super Bowl spot.
Available now on YouTube, Clash-A-Rama! is a series of shorts and full-length episodes featuring characters from both Clash of Clans and Clash Royale. If the animation style and a few of the voices seem familiar, it could be because Clash-A-Rama! was created and written by three writer/producers of The Simpsons and animated by Rough Draft Animation, the same studio that brought Futurama to life. It turns out that all three writers were already fans of Clash of Clans and became fascinated by the idea of what happens behind-the-scenes in that universe. While the characters don’t speak in-game, the animated series gives them both voices and personalities that anyone can enjoy, whether they’ve played the games or not. Supercell’s new show is proving to be a whos-who of vocal talent with the likes of Tress MacNielle (The Simpsons, Futurama) as well as Tom Kenny, the voice of Spongebob Squarepants.
This isn’t the first time Supercell has invited fans to experience the Clash world from a new perspective. Last year, a 360-degree video was released with VR-headset compatibility. Viewed over 10 million times, the experience allows fans to witness a raid from a first-person view. Three weeks ago, the world was treated to another 360/VR experience, this time as a Hog Rider from the game, which has already exceeded 37 million views.
Back in 2014, Supercell created a poll that asked its fans whether or not they wanted Clash of Clans merchandise. The answer was apparently a resounding “yes,” because that’s what the world is about to get. The Finnish company is rolling out a line of high-quality, detailed figurines sometime in early 2017. “We are not doing this to diversify our revenue base,” CEO and co-founder, Ilkka Paananen told VentureBeat. “This is our way to give back to our players. Everything we have achieved is thanks to our players.”
Clash Royale is all about competition, and with a thriving community, Supercell has conquered its own little piece of eSports land. The publisher is holding the Clash Royale North American Open—a series of duels between select players that culminates with a final on December 17. Touted as their biggest competition to date, the North American Open features over $100,000 USD in prize money, a free trip to Los Angeles to compete in the Crown Duel and even a trip to Supercell headquarters in Helsinki, Finland.
Despite the figurines, VR experiences and fancy cartoons, Superdata doesn’t want to lose focus on what they love most: making games. “We don’t want to be a media company,” said Paanenen. “We are a games company. And we will always be a games company.”