CREATING ‘SLAY THE BEAR’ FOR BLOCKLORDS BY AXIS STUDIOS

BLOCKLORDS, the world’s first medieval MMO grand strategy game with a player-owned economy, takes a monumental leap forward with the release of its highly anticipated second trailer, ‘Slay the Bear.’ This trailer is the second of three eagerly anticipated cinematic trailers, produced in collaboration with the renowned animation studio Axis Studios (known for their work on blockbuster game trailers like Diablo II: Resurrected, Halo Infinite, and Destiny 2 and films such as A Man Named Otto). The Slay the Bear trailer is directed by Axis Studios’ and BAFTA-winning director, Jon Yeo, known for producing Love, Death and Robots’ episode ‘Helping Hand.’

Building on the success of BLOCKLORDS’ first trailer, ‘Protect Your House’, which garnered over 1 million views, ‘Slay the Bear’ follows a huntress on a nail-biting pursuit of a rare albino moose that takes a chilling turn. As the moose falls to a sudden bear attack, she swiftly finds herself not as the hunter, but the hunted, exemplifying her own words: “What nature gives, it can easily take back.”

David Johansson, Founder of MetaKing Studios, stated, “Crafting strong narratives has always been paramount for us, and BLOCKLORDS offers players precisely that platform. This trailer is just a small glimpse of what is to come. BLOCKLORDS isn’t just our story; it’s the players’ stories too.”

Backed by gaming giants such as Square Enix, Krafton and Fun Plus, BLOCKLORDS, built in Unity, presents players with exciting gameplay, community prestige, and an enthralling narrative. Whether farming, fighting, ruling, or conquering, guided by their heroes, players are promised a community-driven kingdom in BLOCKLORDS where gameplay dictates status and strategy determines power.

As a key collaborator, Axis Studios continues to redefine the gaming landscape through explosive trailers and in-game cinematics. The unveiling of ‘Slay the Bear’ provided a platform for the diverse talents within Axis Studios to collaborate, fusing innovative ideas and showcasing their diverse abilities. In particular, the studio’s mastery in hyper-realistic character and creature work took center stage within the trailer, breathing life into the narrative with a level of detail and authenticity that hopes to set new standards within the industry. The seamless integration of ideas and skills across various departments underscores Axis Studios’ commitment to pushing the boundaries of visual storytelling in gaming

Blocklords Colourscript

“This was a real opportunity for us to take our creatures to the next level.”, commented Camille Fourniols, Groom Supervisor at Axis Studios. “Fantasy games are always exciting, you can always expect unusual and exciting characters that require a balance between what is needed for the story and realism. Creating characters in CG requires constant dialogue between multiple teams so all technical aspects had artistic input and vice versa to create truly believable creatures. The fight scenes in particular where you are expressing a wider range of movement and emotion, presented an exciting challenge across the studio, and I was so excited to be a part of making this happen.”

Blocklords Character breakdown

Jon Yeo, BAFTA-winning director at Axis Studios, commented, “The ‘Slay the Bear’ trailer is just the beginning. It introduces us to more of the vast and captivating universe that BLOCKLORDS has created. Directing this trailer and becoming a part of the incredible community within BLOCKLORDS has been a wonderful experience, and we’re eager to see what’s next for BLOCKLORDS.”

Boasting state-of-the-art graphics, inventive gameplay, and gripping stories, BLOCKLORDS transports players to a world where they actively participate in shaping the game. Players can assume various roles within the expansive BLOCKLORDS universe, each interconnected and essential. Pioneering a format where players can farm, fight, and ascend to their kingdom’s apex in this medieval landscape, BLOCKLORDS offers the liberty to carve their epic tales within a community built on a robust franchise foundation.

Blocklords Character Designs

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Axis Studios will be part of IAMAG Master Classes as a Studio Partner, Recruiter and will present a project during the Industry Talks