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How Lords Mobile became one of the most influential strategy games on mobile

Making an impact far beyond the battlefield

How Lords Mobile became one of the most influential strategy games on mobile
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| Lords Mobile

Lords Mobile, the phenomenally popular multiplayer strategy from IGG, has had a major impact on the mobile gaming landscape since its launch in 2016. Not only has it been a mainstay on App Annie’s Highest Grossing apps chart, its popularity paved the way for a PC port last year.

To date, the game has attracted more than 200 million players worldwide and IGG has built on its framework with major updates. It’s won a heap of awards, too, but its influence has extended far beyond the battlefields, with the studio behind it making every effort to give something back to the community and use Lords Mobile’s success to fund important charity initiatives.

Here’s how Lords Mobile became one of the most influential games of its kind…

An award-winning formula

Lords Mobile instantly struck a chord with multiplayer strategy fanatics and still has its flag firmly planted in the Top 5 Strategy Game chart on both Google Play and the App Store, over four years on from its release. In fact, it has never dropped out of either chart in the last four years.

Popularity is all well and good, but Lords Mobile has hit that sweet spot between commercial success and critical acclaim. The game has won two Google Play Awards to date, taking home Best Competitive Game and Android Excellence Game for its developer and publisher, IGG.

In addition to these gongs, the multiplayer online phenomenon has been nominated for Google’s Best Multiplayer Game, alongside blockbuster releases Hearthstone and FIFA Mobile.

Content updates aplenty

Like any good strategy game, Lords Mobile has been proactive about expanding into new territory. IGG has kept the game fresh over the years with major content updates, and they’re set to continue.

In February this year, Lords Mobile celebrated its fourth anniversary, and to mark the occasion, IGG rolled out an update which raised the level cap for troops to Tier 5. Lunar Foundries for producing and storing Lunite were also introduced along with stacks of other anniversary goodies.

Going further back, there was a game-changing update in the summer of 2019 which revamped the role of Familiars, tameable monsters that players can add to their camp. The update overhauled the familiar system to allow players to take these beasts into battle or station them as defensive units.

A thriving community

Lords Mobile’s influence has stretched far beyond tablet and smartphone screens. Just like the mighty empires players have built in the game, a vast community has sprung up around it in the real world, and IGG has gone to great lengths to foster it and give something back to these hardcore fans.

Special Lords Mobile events where fans can meet up, have a few drinks and engage in friendly battles have taken place in cities across the world, including Paris, Berlin, Tokyo, Los Angeles. One even took place in London last year to mark the MMORPG’s third birthday.

The biggest official Lords Mobile event is the esteemed Lords Fest, a mass gathering of dedicated fans and cosplayers which has been held in Rome, Tokyo, Taipei, Berlin, Istanbul, Bangkok, Barcelona and Los Angeles. At these events, attendees can take part in official contests and casual mini-games, as well as enter prize giveaways for the chance to win state-of-the-art gaming smartphones.

When it’s not organising global events, IGG is launching other initiatives to engage with the community. Last autumn, the studio held a competition encouraging players to share their gameplay stories, from friendships forged to unusual encounters, and the winners were awarded with a limited edition ‘Lords Cube’, an exclusive ‘Grand Throne’ castle skin, and the ‘Noble Pack’ bundle.

Laudable charity work

IGG has obviously reaped the benefits of Lords Mobile’s success, but the Singaporean studio has always been eager to give something back, not just to the game’s community but the wider world, too. The firm is passionate about charity initiatives, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been donating medical supplies such as face masks to hospitals and health departments around the world.

In the early days of the coronavirus crisis, when the Chinese city of Wuhan was struggling to contain the outbreak, IGG set up a $500,000 donation fund to provide vital support.

The studio’s support for leading charities stretches back long before the pandemic, though. Lords Mobile’s publisher has previously partnered with organisations including the Make-A-Wish Foundation and War Child UK, raising money and awareness for their causes with game-related events.

Yet to experience Lords Mobile for yourself? Head over to Google Play or the App Store to download it for free today.