A Legion of Sway: How Influencer Marketing Boosted Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 by@kiraaainfluence
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A Legion of Sway: How Influencer Marketing Boosted Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
by Kira AAA InfluenceOctober 16th, 2024
Too Long; Didn't Read
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 came out this year, shattering records of player engagement and becoming the best-selling Warhammer game. The game's marketing efforts stand out for two key strengths: exceptional community engagement and a powerful integration of influencer marketing. Space Marine 2 developers recognize the power of content creators, and go above and beyond to leverage their influence, weaving influencer marketing into nearly every single strategy used in the campaign.
In the distant year of 2011, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine captivated millions, rallying legions of gamers to serve the Emperor and battle against the vast Ork horde. Thirteen years later, a sequel came out inviting players to rejoin the legendary Captain Titus on his heroic quest.
Perils on the Path
Developed by Saber Interactive Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 not only continues the story of the first part but offers another chapter in an epic Warhammer saga. This is a double-edged sword: a loyal fanbase is a blessing, yet it comes with the burden of high expectations and a need for a marketing campaign to match the scale. A challenge the developers
There is an expectation from Warhammer 40K fans that we treat the universe with respect and that we get things correct. Then there's an expectation from fans of the first game, as well as just fans of Saber and action games. So yes, the expectations are very high...
-Tim Willits, Chief Creative Officer at Saber Interactive
And it was one they were committed to facing. The developers were met with other hurdles too: Saber’s biggest project, Space Marine 2 was being developed
A Monumental Success
Space Marine 2 has shattered records, taking by storm the Warhammer world and beyond. The game gained
For comparison, the first Space Marine
If you haven’t yet grasped the magnitude of success: Space Marine 2 has been topping the sales charts on Steam
With Space Marine 2, it really does change everything. During our company party, I gave a little 30-second speech and I told the whole team, this changes everything we do moving forward, from our small games like our third-party publishing games, to A Quiet Place next month.
-Tim Willits, Chief Creative Officer at Saber Interactive
Saber’s creation also set a new benchmark for player engagement,
The Pillars of Triumph
The roaring success is in part explained by the popularity of the Warhammer universe. But it could have had the opposite effect and ruined the game or, in extreme cases,
In one word, a game of this scale had to have a marketing campaign that would match its grandeur. That was exactly the case with Space Marine 2 where marketing events efforts were just as responsible for the success as the big name, perhaps, even more.
The marketing campaign stands out for two key strengths:exceptional community engagement and a powerful integration of influencer marketing. While this article focuses on the second part, a few words should be said about their work with the community first.
The audience was actively appealed to across platforms: monthly
It shows the value the developer and the publisher place on their community, and it’s only natural that they are rewarded with loyalty. But now, for the other key part of their strategy.
Influencer-Fortified Arsenal
Before we dig into influencer collabs, I'd like to highlight other tools used in the campaign that did not have influencers at their core but brought them into the mix — and strongly benefitted from that. Let's break down exactly how.
Trailers
One of the main weapons in the game promotion is visually stunning trailers revealing the game's story, mechanics, parts of the plot, and more. These have been paramount for showcasing the game in all its glory, and Space Marine 2 made extensive use of them, having crafted over 10 different trailers. They timed some of them to big gaming events, such as the co-op reveal at Game Fest 2023 or release date reveal at the Game Awards 2023.
While it is unclear if influencers were engaged to put the trailers into the spotlight, or if they were driven by sheer enthusiasm, one thing is for sure: every single trailer fueled content creation beyond imagination. Influencers, including big names, such as Asmongold, were hosting streams to watch the trailers with their audience, sharing honest reactions and in-depth analyses.
This naturally drove the trailers' visibility and sparked discussion across the community. But it went further than that, to show the developer’s sincere appreciation for influencers' power with the Heed the Call of War trailer that was based on quotes and reactions from media and influencers who got early access.
By featuring their quotes, the developers are recognizing their impact on the gaming community and their ability to shape gaming culture.
Offline Events
Festivals, such as Summer Game Fest and Gamescom, not only showcased beautiful cinematic trailers but also hosted
Influencers were also playing their part here, and in different ways too. They were live-covering the events, taking the viewers along, and sharing theirfreshly lived impressions. Here, we can also see the traces of official collabs: influencers were engaged to
Media
Gaming media were deeply engaged in highlighting and reviewing the game. At some point, the publisher’s X was flooded with early-access review
How is that connected to influencers? Several reasons. First, it shows how game developers recognize the power of third-party reviews and opinions, which opens direct pathways for influencer collabs. Secondly, the line between gaming media and gaming influencers is being blurred: long articles
In this, we are witnessing how official gaming media are adopting influencer-style formats. Another case in point would be Warhammer’s official Twitch channel, which
In short, this reflects how both game developers and gaming media value the influence and approach of content creators. And just how much — we’ll see in a second.
Influencer Imperium
The game drew in lots of influencers. Some created content autonomously, forming a so-called “inbound loop”, while others were drawn into the collaboration by the company. Let’s look at some of the influencer strategies used in the campaign.
Clive Standen
I decided to start off with Clive Standen, the actor who portrayed the game's protagonist, Captain Titus. His participation in the marketing campaign shows an unconventional yet powerful form of influencer marketing.
Instead of relying only on traditional influencer strategies, the game had the unique advantage of having an “in-game” influencer, whose authority could be leveraged later on. In particular, Standen promoted the game
This is a brilliant example of developers making full use of their resources. As more games collaborate with real actors for production, the Space Marine 2 experience is something everyone could learn from.
Twitch Drop
Perhaps the company's strongest acknowledgment of the power of influencers was its
The campaign offered exclusive rewards for interacting with featured influencers: three of the Porphyr Shield set cosmetics could be earned by watching Space Marine 2 streams for an hour, which is an easy goal for casual enthusiasts, while the bolt pistol could be picked up after gifting at least two subscriptions to the channels on the list, something more hard-core fans could participate in.
Well-strategized incentives reflect the company’s goal to cater to different facets of the community. The subscription part
Sponsored Videos
The sheer variety of Space Marine 2 content on YouTube and Twitch is astounding. Particularly die-hard fans even
A standout segment was the wave of early reviews, which flooded YouTube with a range of formats — from
Even after launch, Space Marine 2 continued to thrive on Twitch and YouTube, with creative campaigns like
Overall, the content creation efforts were incredibly diverse: from honest reviews and sneak peeks into the yet unreleased game to the full-fledged tales that kept the audience intrigued and entertained.
Knowledge Forged
Space Marine 2 developers clearly recognize the power content creators have, and go above and beyond to leverage their influence. In this, they strive to make collabs that truly benefit both sides like we saw with the Twitch Drop. They promote their content and
In a heartfelt nod to the community, the developers
The developers wove influencer marketing into nearly every aspect of their promotional efforts. Even strategies that didn’t initially involve influencers were infused with their impact: a trailer with their reviews, collabs to promote contests, influencer content on Twitter, and many more.
By granting early access to influencers, they were able to capture authentic, enthusiastic reactions from players, and even after launch, their creative campaigns continued to engage audiences. While the collab with the actor starring in the game is a fine example of making the most of one’s resources.
Their influencer strategy wasn't just about marketing; it was about building relationships. This is a prime example of a thoughtful and caring brand-influencer attitude, the one that is needed to forge lasting connections and strike even more winning combos in the future.
L O A D I N G
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