Clash Royale really going all out in quest to lure back old players

In a Valentine’s Day collaboration we didn’t see coming, Clash Royale has enlisted the help of Michael Bolton (yes, *the* Michael Bolton) to lure back lapsed players.

Clash Royale’s iconic character Barbarian has not only changed his name to Barboltian for the occasion, but he’s also teamed up with the King of Romance for the surprising collaboration.

In a fresh release of Bolton’s Grammy-award-winning hit How Am I Supposed To Live Without You, Barboltian has come a long way from Supercell’s game as he’s brought to life in the accompanying music video.

It’s all to do with the Helsinki-based gaming company’s endeavour to bring former players of Clash Royale back to the franchise.

For those who may have forgotten, Clash Royale is a fast-paced 1v1 strategy game where players aim to destroy their opponent’s towers. To do this, you collect cards and build a team from more than 100 troops, which you command in the arena to try and outsmart your opponent. Simple, right?

Since its release in 2016, it’s racked up 4 billion downloads, but be that as it may, in recent years it’s seen a lot of long-term players leave the game.

In response, the team – also behind games including Hay Day, Clash Of Clans and Squad Busters – called in the big guns AKA Bolton to jump back into the recording booth to rerelease one of his biggest hits in the hopes it’ll entice those players back.

Well, at the very least, it’ll surely entertain.

Duetting with the singer is Barbarian, sorry, Barboltian, channelling the spirit of classic 90s love songs (and Bolton’s former long locks, for those who may remember the 90s…), with a new mullet and extended moustache.

The clip has already garnered 3 million views since its release, as viewers shared their thoughts. While some suggested more players would return if the same energy of the music video was injected into the game, others said the peak nostalgia had won them back over.

Talking about unleashing his tunes on the Clash Royale player base, Bolton – who has sold more than 65 million records worldwide – said: ‘How am I Supposed to Live Without You has been a hit for me twice and I’m excited to see it land with a new generation through this collaboration with Barboltian.’

Barboltian said: …nothing.

To join Barbarian/Barboltian in the Clash Royale arena, download the game on iOS or Android.

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