After making a name for himself in the high fantasy epic Lord of the Rings, Orlando Bloom looks at home in his latest gig–playing an archer named Orlando the Nightshard in an ad for mobile game Kings of Avalon. Orlando will also stick around as an in-game character who will be available for free to new players.
The ad shows Orlando the Nightshard on the battlefield, trying his best to call for help from the player controlling the game–revealed to be Orlando Bloom himself, in the modern world.
King of Avalon is a medieval strategy game for mobile that’s loosely based on Arthurian lore, seeing the player control a dragon lord with the potential to claim Excalibur and become the titular King of Avalon. The introduction of Orlando Bloom’s character will also kick start a new storyline for the mobile game, with a new icy enemy called the Unmelted attacking the continent of Avalon.
The game sees players controlling battles, upgrading defences, and summoning heroes through a gacha-like system, however King of Avalon is just one of many free-to-play mobile games that’s been called out for running ads that don’t accurately reflect the gameplay.
In the past, developer FunPlus has been accused of stealing footage from other games to market King of Avalon, while many reviews also criticize the game for its aggressive monetization and lack of competitiveness for players who don’t spend.
Bloom isn’t the first Lord of the Rings alumni to turn his celebrity to promoting big-budget mobile games–Elijah Wood recently starred in a campaign for AFK Arena that saw the actor in a love triangle with a needy orc.
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