BAFTA-winning and MTV VMA-nominated composer Jesper Kyd (Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Warhammer 40K Darktide, TUMBBAD on Prime VIdeo) is scoring the original limited animated series RAID: Call of the Arbiter, based on the billion dollar mobile game franchise RAID: Shadow Legends. Revealed March 13 at SXSW by global game publisher Pixel United and RAID creators Plarium, the series will consist of 10 five-minute weekly episodes set to premiere on YouTube on May 18.
“It has been so inspiring to work with producer Eric Rollman, showrunner Jay Oliva and executive producer Nicholas Day, who is also Vice President of Creative at Plarium,” said Kyd. “They facilitated a really creative environment where original music ideas were embraced and encouraged. RAID is a rich and colorful universe so it was great fun to score these beloved characters from the game, bringing them additional depth and helping to bring them alive through thematic music for the animated series. For the recording, it was also an honor to work with the Budapest Scoring Orchestra and Choir who brought a really passionate performance to this music which features the choir predominantly throughout the score.”
Known for scoring blockbuster video game franchises including Assassin’s Creed, Borderlands, Darksiders, Hitman, State of Decay and Warhammer, Kyd has received top honors for Best Original Score from the BAFTAs, Critics’ Choice Film Awards (India), Hollywood Music in Media Awards, Game Audio Network Guild as well as nominations from Billboard, CNN, MTV Video Music Awards and the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences. He was also honored with the Nile Rodgers Global Creators Award at Canadian Music Week for his innovative and unique body of work.
The game RAID: Shadow Legends has quickly become one of the fastest growing collection RPGs with over 75 million downloads across all platforms exceeding $1 billion in lifetime revenues. The turn-based fantasy game offers over 700 collectable champions across 15 different factions. With this new series, RAID fans can look forward to learning the origins of some of their favorite champions, uncovering surprises throughout the series that tie to in-game rewards, and several other collaborations that deliver an immersive experience connecting the game and the series.
The animated series takes place in the world of Teleria, a land seemingly abandoned by its gods, torn by warring factions locked in ceaseless conflict. The central character — pulled from the game’s core lore — is an ancient guardian called the Arbiter who is seeking a path to return to the world. She must summon a team of unlikely champions to light the spark that will cast down the darkness.
RAID: Shadow Legends is available to download on iOS and Android mobile devices, as well as PC through the Microsoft Store or the Plarium Play platform. Stay up to date with Plarium’s developments by following @PlariumGames on YouTube, @Plarium on Instagram and /Plarium on LinkedIn.
