Fleetbreakers
Marketing a stellar pedigree
THE mission
Age of Empires. Age of Mythology. Halo Wars. One of those titles in a developer’s oeuvre would be enough to set strategy fans frothing with anticipation for their next game. In the case of indie studio Last Keep, it’s all three. Initially announced in 2024 as Project Citadel, Last Keep’s debut title Fleetbreakers needed a brand update, with fresh key art, store copy, and a hot new trailer. Contracted by games marketing agency Player4, I set myself to the task.
THE WORK
One of the key areas of focus I was given was foregrounding Last Keep’s impressive pedigree, and injecting more emotion into Fleetbreakers’ presentation.
When it came to the store text, I leant on my years of experience crafting persuasive copy. For the new key art and trailer, the hunt began for a talented artist and editor.
With only a couple of months to get everything finalised prior to an updated demo push, I immediately began outreach to industry contacts to find a creative vendor for the trailer. After a condensed process of RFP and client coordination, I arrived at mega talented freelance editor Svings, no stranger to making indie gems stand out. Cutdowns including 9:16 edits were baked into our agreement from the beginning, ensuring all social platforms would be well-served with content.
I creatively led production of both the key art and trailers, working closely with both Svings and Rombutan to swiftly turn around first drafts for client feedback. Keeping the Last Keep and Player4 teams in the loop via e-mail and regular calls, I ensured all stakeholders were heard and their feedback actioned, driving towards a full brand update that was clear and cohesive in its messaging.
I took a less conventional route to finding a key art and Steam capsule artist. Rather than looking for existing game artists, I took a style-first approach, trawling hundreds of portfolios across X, Instagram, and Artstation, ultimately finding Filipino artist Rombutan. Their striking, highly emotive work on popular heroes made it clear to Player4, Last Keep, and me that they were the right choice to foreground the emotion underpinning Fleetbreakers’ galactic conflict.
THE RESULTS
Thanks to careful partner selection and management, all deliverables were produced on time, budget, and quality, resulting in a brand update that met Last Keep and Player4’s objectives of communicating the game’s pedigree and story in an eye-catching manner.
Building in potentially unforeseen deliverables such as social trailer cutdowns and multiple key art formats, we were able to plan diligently and take in stride the natural speedbumps that arise with all campaigns.
