Manchester City’s star striker Erling Haaland has made a thrilling entry into the virtual world of Clash of Clans as the Barbarian King. This partnership marks the first time the globally popular mobile game by Finnish developers Supercell has featured a real-life personality in its fantasy realm.
Players can recruit or challenge Haaland in the game from the beginning of May, enhancing their experience with this unique crossover between football and gaming.
Haaland’s role in Clash of Clans brings him into the game as a playable character and allows players to earn extra rewards by defeating him. This special event, centered around football themes, will run throughout May, giving fans a whole month to engage with one of football’s brightest stars in a new and interactive way.
“When we heard Haaland was a fan of our game and wanted to partner with us, it was really a dream scenario,” said Stuart McGaw, general manager of Clash of Clans.
“Our team did everything we could to bring him, one of the world’s best athletes, into the world of the game so our players could enjoy a truly special moment.”
The 23-year-old Norwegian, known for proficiency on the football field, is equally passionate about gaming. He recently shared his excitement about the collaboration on social media.
From the pitch to the battlefield! I’m the new Barbarian King in @clashofclans #ClashwithHaaland pic.twitter.com/6O9QacpnOi
— Erling Haaland (@ErlingHaaland) April 30, 2024
He also stated, “It’s been tough to keep this one quiet, but I’m excited to finally be able to talk about this epic partnership with Clash of Clans. I’ve been a huge fan of the game for a long time and know everything about it, so to appear as an in-game character is really cool.”
This isn’t Haaland’s first time in video games. He was also on the cover of EA FC 24, showing his increasing popularity in digital entertainment. Having a famous sports star like him in Clash of Clans will likely attract more players and could lead to more games featuring real-life celebrities.
