In 2019, we sold bundles containing Elephant Mounts that we planned to release in a future update. Unfortunately, we regret to announce that the development of Elephant Mounts in Conqueror’s Blade has ceased. We fell short of the mark in promising content that we ultimately could not deliver on, and we are sincerely sorry that we failed to meet your expectations. As a result of this, we have granted compensation to affected players that has a significantly higher value than that of the initial Packs sold in 2019.
Any players who purchased either the Conqueror’s Edition Founder’s Pack or the Beast Master Pack have received a new Pack containing the exclusive ‘Beast of Battle Helmet’ cosmetic item, 75,000 Sovereigns, and five years of Premium time. Players who purchased both Packs have received an additional 25,000 Sovereigns and a further 2 years of Premium time. These items have already been sent directly to affected players’ web inventories. If this compensation is not satisfactory, players can contact MY.GAMES or Steam customer support for a refund.
Redesigning every map and castle in Conqueror’s Blade to accommodate elephants proved to be a huge undertaking for our developers. Despite launching the game less than two years ago and still working on regular, substantial content updates, we would essentially have needed to partially remake the game to do so. The high costs, technical complexity, and work hours required to bring this feature to life would be to the detriment of other new content like seasons, maps, and game modes.
To provide more context, we would like to give you an insight into the development of this feature. Hundreds of hours of development time were invested in the implementation of elephants as rideable mounts in Conqueror’s Blade. We envisioned them not simply as a larger reskin of existing mounts, but as a brand-new feature that would force players to adapt and respond to a changed tactical landscape.
We initially took historical inspiration from the war elephants commanded by civilisations like the Chola dynasty of ancient India, the mighty Persian Empire, the Ptolemaic Kingdom, and the Carthaginian Empire under the master tactician Hannibal. These magnificent beasts were far larger and more destructive than many siege engines, and could shatter enemy ranks just as easily as their spirit. As such, they proved invaluable as living weapons.
Balance was ultimately a massive concern for us. We considered what we would need to change on a meta-level to redress the balance and make elephants fair opponents as opposed to unstoppable juggernauts. Anti-elephant artillery and units were considered, but the tactical possibilities, or lack thereof, became a much messier prospect when we anticipated battles descending into all-out, destructive chaos with teams consisting entirely of elephant riders.
Unless we drastically shrank elephants to the size of a horse–which would look quite ridiculous, not to mention the issues of historical and anatomical inaccuracy–it also became apparent that our maps simply could not accommodate the physical size of elephant models. Whereas you can now ride your horse through the enemy’s gates and storm castles on horseback, there would be no way for the elephant to enter. The anatomical restrictions of the elephant would make ascending and descending stairs another ridiculous prospect in itself. While we considered applying restrictions to certain maps or only allowing the use of elephants within select maps or game modes, we felt that this would greatly reduce the value of elephants for players.
Conqueror’s Blade is a live game that has already changed so much. It’s constantly evolving and improving in little (and big) ways that ultimately add up to a vastly different beast than the one we launched with. All of those changes are thanks to you – through your playtime, support, feedback, and requests, you help change and define Conqueror’s Blade. It’s our mission to create the ultimate medieval warfare experience, and none of it would be possible without you.
Going forward, we will take this moment to heart and ensure that future content lives up to your expectations of what Conqueror’s Blade is, and what it can be. While elephants are now off the agenda, we have plenty more ideas and content in the pipeline to keep you battling in the months and years to come.
Thanks for playing with us, we’ll see you on the battlefield!
