In a new video titled “Moove with Askr”, Fire Emblem Heroes may have teased an upcoming character from its sister title on Nintendo Switch, Fire Emblem Engage.
Every year, a few days late for April Fools’ Day (is that part of the joke?) Nintendo releases a Heroes-related video that seems to have little to do with the actual game; from a hero and villain dance-off to a trailer for a “playable” but unobtainable owl named Feh, these videos are unpredictable in all but tardiness.
This year, the video revolved around Heroes characters getting into shape and working out. The biggest surprise was the prominently featured Timerra, a new character from January’s Switch game Fire Emblem Engage who isn’t even in Heroes…yet.
Cross-promotion strikes again
Back in December of 2022, Nintendo revealed that its main interest in mobile games is as a marketing tool, not for generating revenue, despite the industry’s potential for profit. Rather, Nintendo sees mobile as a springboard to introduce more players to its intellectual properties and consoles.
In line with this, a handful of characters from Engage came to Heroes in January ahead of the Switch title’s launch, another win for mobile. Now, with Timerra’s appearance in the new Heroes video, it seems likely another wave is coming soon. In theory, this could entice Engage players to try out Heroes and play as familiar characters, meanwhile mobile gamers may be encouraged to try out these characters’ own console game.
Fire Emblem Heroes reached $1 billion in lifetime revenue last summer, making it Nintendo’s most successful mobile game. Its influence on Engage has been clear, with some in-game items only unlockable by playing the mobile title on a connected Nintendo Account.
Engage’s DLC even includes Veronica, the original antagonist of Fire Emblem Heroes, canonising her in a main-series entry for the first time and showing just how big an impact the mobile title has had.
