Development studio Kabam is set to launch their next Unreal Engine 5 game, King Arthur: Legends Rise, on both mobile and PC platforms.
The studio will be developing the squad-based RPG, based on Arthurian legend, with seamless cross-play and cross-progression between the mobile and PC versions.
The game was unveiled at the State of Unreal keynote at GDC 2023, with the game’s high degree of visual fidelity (running on Unreal Engine 5) being a key selling point. Kabam has a great deal of experience in mobile, having previously developed three major titles in collaboration with giants such as Disney and Marvel.
EO of Kabam, SeungWon Lee commented on the pedigree of Kabam and their experience on mobile. “Kabam has a rich history and proven track record of launching fun and enduring games on mobile – including Marvel Contest of Champions, Disney Mirrorverse, and Shop Titans – but as we look to the future, enabling our players to experience cross-platform progression and play is an essential part of what we want to offer our players. King Arthur: Legends Rise represents the first game for this new direction.”
Big money, big graphics
While the promotion of amazing graphics on Unreal Engine 5 is hardly surprising – given that Unreal is famed for pushing the boundaries of visual fidelity – the decision to bring a game such as King Arthur: Legends Rise to mobile and to PC is an interesting one. The demanding graphics being brought to mobile indicates an awareness that, even on mobile, gamers are still demanding more and more beautiful graphics.
However, it’s not just in terms of visuals that King Arthur is unusual. Instituting crossplay and cross-progression indicates that Kabam is well aware of the crossover between mobile gamers and other platforms, and is seeking to capitalise on playtime regardless of the platform. Kabam recently took a hit of around 7% of their staff after reviewing “strategic priorities” late last year, so will be hoping that this combination of technical fidelity and player-friendly progression boosts King Arthur: Legends Rise, to hit status.
