Benedict Cumberbatch has a new gig, and it’s not the sort of role you might know him for.
Having conquered the worlds of stage and screen, Benedict Cumberbatch has signed up to be the ambassador for Era of Conquest, a hugely popular Chinese strategy game that’s set to receive a global release at the end of this month.
It’s not for us to say why a public figure of Benedict Cumberbatch’s immense standing would choose to step out of his comfort zone and into the riotous world of video games.
But we can guess why Era of Conquest was the game that persuaded him to make the leap.
Before we get into all that, let’s remind ourselves why Benedict Cumberbatch is such a big deal in the first place.
To date, Benedict Cumberbatch has won an Olivier Award for his stage appearance in Frankenstein, and an Emmy for his television performance as Sherlock, along with countless other gongs and prizes for his work in TV, film, and theater.
He’s been everywhere, but you probably know him best as Dr Strange, the enigmatic warlock who has appeared in several of the blockbuster Marvel movies.
Or you might know him from his turn in Sherlock, the BBC’s popular modern retelling of the Sherlock Holmes stories. Or perhaps you know him from something else entirely, like Star Trek or The Power of the Dog.
In any case, one thing is certain: you know him.
So why is he promoting Era of Conquest? Simple. Era of Conquest is one of the most successful games in China right now, with millions of loyal fans, and it’s about to become one of the most successful strategy titles in the world.
Once you take a proper look at the game, it’s not hard to see why.
Era of Conquest is a massively multiplayer cross-platform strategy game. Developed by 4399 Games, it sees you venturing into a vast open-world and vying for supremacy against thousands of other players representing nine global civilisations.
These include the Vikings, the Chinese, the Gauls, the Japanese, the Brits, the Koreans, and more, along with real historical figures like King Arthur, Julius Caesar, and Saladin.
Each culture comes with its own unique historically accurate characteristics, too, with the British wielding longbows and the Mamluks waving lances around with deadly intent.
Your choice of civilisation will determine your battlefield tactics and your strategic alliances. Crucially, your bank balance will not. Era of Conquest offers free, automatic conscription, with no VIP status or purchasable resources.
To win, you’ll need to make strategically advantageous alliances and deploy clever battlefield tactics. Skill is the only path to victory.
In terms of scale and presentation, Era of Conquest is the most ambitious and stunningly beautiful example of the genre we’ve come across in a long time.
Not only does the action take place on an impossibly vast 120x120km 3D map, but it looks absolutely incredible thanks to the game’s sophisticated SRP technology.
DOTS technology, meanwhile, allows up to 6000 players to fight in a single battle, which is out of this world.
All of which explains why Era of Conquest is such a hit in China, and how—presumably—it was able to secure the services of a man like Benedict Cumberbatch.
Now we’re going to explain why you need to pre-register for Era of Conquest right now, joining the nearly 3 million players who have pre-registered already.
Firstly, there are the rewards.
The campaign has already smashed through two ambitious tiers, meaning everybody who has signed up is in line to receive 50 Gems and one Soldier Soul Stele.
At the next tier, 3 million, everybody gets a S-Skill Chest, and at 4 million they get a General Soul Stele. At the highest tier, meanwhile, 50 lucky players will get a real world prize, from a $20 Amazon Gift Card to an iPhone 15 Pro Max.
The other reason to sign up now is solidarity. If you head to the Era of Conquest website you’ll see how many players have pledged allegiance to each civilisation, with Korea currently in the lead on 538,429, followed by the US on 406,918.
This is your chance to tip the scales in your civilization’s favor before the war starts for real.
Era of Conquest is set to launch on October 27th – make sure you pre-register right now.
