South Korean Team 와신상담 Conquers Rival Empires in Unique Esports Competition for Historically-Accurate, Cross-platform PC and Mobile Strategy Game
Lilith Games — the acclaimed studio behind AFK Arena, AFK Journey, and Dislyte — has announced the winner of the 2023 Global Champions Grand Prix esports tournament for its popular cross-platform real-time strategy game Rise of Kingdoms!
Following the riveting single-elimination finals, South Korean team 와신상담 (Team Tag 489) took home the Global Champions Grand Prix trophy, beating out the competition in Rise of Kingdoms’ high-stakes, historically accurate warfare that merges MMO-style gameplay with real-time battle tactics.
In Rise of Kingdoms, players are at the forefront of societal leadership. Tasked with leading one of 14 ancient kingdoms to prosperity, Rise of Kingdoms challenges players to do more than just battle. Drawing from culturally rich civilizations — Arabia, Britain, Byzantium, China, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Japan, Korea, Ottoman, Rome, Spain, and Vikings, players embark on voyages beyond country borders. They’ll harness their power and influence to help needy citizens and become leaders renowned for their virtuous spirit.
The Global Champions Grand Prix — set to Rise of the Kingdoms’ “Ark of Osiris” gameplay mode — is a unique esports event that differentiates itself from all other strategy game tournaments worldwide. It offers competitors an unparalleled esports experience that seamlessly merges the real-time strategic elements of an RTS with the thrilling competitiveness of a MOBA.
“The 2023 Global Champions Grand Prix was the first truly “global” event in the history of Rise of Kingdoms,” said Rise of Kingdoms Esports Team Leader Sanqian Wang. “The Grand Prix is a huge step for RoK in our global journey. For the participants, it was also an unprecedented stage for them to show off their skills; for the viewers, it was a wholly unique esports experience.
She continued, “With teams of non-professional players logging in from many different time zones, the level of preparation, planning, organization, and communication required for this tournament was far greater than the average esports event. Despite this, we received positive feedback from the teams and participants, which was incredible encouragement for all of us working to organize the Grand Prix. We plan on holding more global competitions in the future. We are also considering special tournament formats, like double-elimination, giving viewers more of a reason to tune in. All of us on the RoK event team look forward to bringing you even more exciting competitions.”
In the 2023 Global Champions Grand Prix tournament, sixteen teams composed of thirty-five players (for a total of 560 competitors) engaged in an all-out war in single-elimination matches, with each representing one of Rise of Kingdoms’ playable ancient civilizations. The 2023 Global Champions Grand Prix tournament began on November 23, 2023, and concluded in January 2024.
Rise of Kingdoms Key Features:
- 14 Unique Civilizations: Choose one of 14 historical civilizations and guide your empire from a lone clan into a great, unstoppable force! Each civilization has its own architecture, unique units, and special advantages — how you utilize them is up to you! Put your governing skills to the test with the Greece civilization; fight together with Pyrrhus, Pericles, Alexander the Great, and other great commanders to conquer the Aegean.
- Real-Time Battles: Anyone can join or leave a battle on the world map anytime, allowing for true RTS gameplay. See an ally being attacked right in your backyard? Send some troops to help them out or launch a surprise counterattack on the attacker’s city.
- Seamless World Map: All in-game action takes place on a single, enormous map inhabited by players and NPCs — there are no isolated bases or separate battle screens. Transition freely between the world view and individual cities or barbarian outposts with “infinite zoom.” Map features include natural obstructions such as rivers and mountain ranges and strategic passes that must be captured to enter neighboring regions.
- Unrestricted Troop Movements: New orders can be issued to troops anytime, offering limitless strategic possibilities. Launch an attack on an enemy city, then circle back and meet up with your alliance army to capture a pass. Dispatch troops to collect lumber from a nearby forest and have them pick off a few barbarian clans along the way. Forces can also be split up between multiple commanders so that you can engage in multiple actions simultaneously.
- Alliance System: Full alliance features allow players to help one another: live chat with built-in translation, officer roles, map indicators to coordinate strategies, and more! Alliances can expand their territory to gain resources, capture territories to strengthen their position, and work together to unlock group achievements.
- RPG Commanders: Call upon dozens of historical figures who will serve as your trustworthy commanders, from Julius Caesar and Sun Tzu to Joan of Arc and Kusunoki Masashige. Level up your commanders by defeating foes, then upgrade their abilities using an RPG-style talent tree and skill system.
Developed by Legou Games and published by Lilith Games, Rise of Kingdoms is available as a free-to-play game and can be downloaded on PC (Windows and Mac OS), as well as on mobile devices from the iOS App Store and Android Google Play.
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