By Allison Watkinson
TLL Reporter
The RAID: Shadow Legends role-playing game is running a limited-edition licensing collaboration with Masters of the Universe.
Launched in partnership with Mattel and UP&E, the exclusive collaboration has brought He-Man and Skeletor to the the RAID: Shadow Legends game as new Legendary Champions.
Running from November 25, 2024 until January 8, 2025, the licensing partnership allows RAID players to unlock Skeletor: Lord of Destruction for free through a 14-day loyalty program.
To add Skeletor to their roster of Champions, players must log into RAID: Shadow Legends on seven different days before December 25, 2024.
The licensed He-Man character can be obtained as the final reward of the game’s Elite Champion Pass by completing a set number of Daily Quests.
A basic version of the Champion Pass, which includes a He-Man avatar and other in-game rewards, is available to all players for free.
Both tiers of the Champion Pass will run until January 25, 2025, with December 25, 2024 being the last day to enroll.
“We’re thrilled to give our players the opportunity to add He-Man and Skeletor to their roster of Champions,” said Plarium VP, Ronen Gross. “The epic rivalry between these characters has captivated fans for generations, and now players can recreate these legendary battles in RAID: Shadow Legends,” added Gross. “With our partners at Universal and Mattel, we ensured that He-Man and Skeletor stayed true to their franchise roots, and we can’t wait for players to meet these characters in RAID’s world of eccentric, powerful heroes and villains.”
To promote the Masters of the Universe activation, Plarium has created an animated advertisement that features the distinctive retro aesthetic of the classic He-Man and the Masters of the Universe TV series.
The animated short follows Skeletor on his quest to find a new apprentice in his ongoing battle to defeat He-Man.
After interviewing and dismissing several candidates, Skeletor enlists an incredibly incompetent RAID Champion Deathknight to be his henchman due to his similar appearance to the dastardly Lord of Destruction.
“We were careful and deliberate in preserving Skeletor and He-Man’s classic look and personality, weaving it into RAID in a way that respects the past while contributing to his ongoing story,” said Gross. “Our approach was simple: stay true to the characters and their legacy, and create something fans of all ages can enjoy.”
Created by Mattel in 1982, the Masters of the Universe brand was first introduced to the world through a line of action figure toys.
The soaring popularity of the action figures led to the debut of an animated series titled He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, which went on to became one of the first children’s programs to be syndicated on television.
The Masters of the Universe brand currently spans a wide range of consumer touchpoints including toys, television, digital gaming, movies, publishing and more.
Plarium’s RAID: Shadow Legends game is available to download on iOS and Android devices, as well as on PCs through the Microsoft Store, Steam, Epic Store and the Plarium Play platform.
Plarium Global is a game development company that creates and produces a diverse assortment of gaming titles such as Mech Arena, Vikings: War of Clans, Merge Gardens and more.
Plarium is a part of Aristocrat Leisure Limited’s mobile game publishing business, Pixel United.