Of Kings and Men

Third-person multiplayer game 'Of Kings And Men' launches in Early Access today

The persistent medieval war game brings huge battles of 200 players to PC

London, UK 25th August 2016 - Green Man Gaming Publishing, Northern Ireland Screen and indie developers Donkey Crew are pleased to announce the launch of Of Kings And Men in Early Access on Steam today. The third-person multiplayer game, created in a bespoke engine, will start its early access with a focus on the combat system and key multiplayer modes including the ability to fight in battles with over 200 players.

Of Kings And Men is being created by indie developers Donkey Crew, previously known for their popular "cRPG" modification for Mount & Blade: Warband.  The team are developing the medieval themed game in their own bespoke engine allowing them to create huge, stable multiplayer battles, as well as the customisation of characters from a choice of millions of combinations.  The intuitive combat systems based on historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) fighters and medieval manuscripts captures the real spirit of melee fighting in a game.

“After 5 years of development, with all its ups and downs, today is both the most scary and amazing day for us - we can’t wait for everyone to experience it!  We believe that Of Kings And Men will write its own history. If the community joins us now in this journey, they will forever be part of our very first era,” said Florian "chadz" Hofreither, Project Lead on Of Kings And Men, Donkey Crew.

“We are delighted to be working with Donkey Crew and Green Man Gaming on such an exciting and engaging project. The growth of the games industry is an important priority for us and Of Kings and Men is the type of ambitious game we want to attract to Northern Ireland. We are glad the Donkey Crew team have been able to make Northern Ireland their home during the development process and integrated themselves with an emerging group of local interactive content creators. Through Early Access we hope the public can see the potential in Of Kings and Men that we have believed in,” said Richard Williams, Chief Executive of Northern Ireland Screen.

“We always knew from the first time we saw the early development of the game, that once built, it would be a unique and epic addition to the games industry.  Of Kings and Men is being developed by a passionate team who are fully dedicated to working with their community to deliver a medieval game that is as close to real-life melee combat as possible.  We hope that everyone follows them on this exciting journey whilst enjoying the game on the way!,” said Paul Sulyok, CEO and Founder of Green Man Gaming Publishing.
Persistent Medieval War

Of Kings And Men  allows you to experience huge, player-driven battles like no other. Engage in massive combat with more than 200 players, capture territories, or practice your fighting skills in competitive matches with intuitive melee combat.

Throughout Early Access,  Of Kings And Men will introduce strategic elements, allowing players to conquer and control the land by political, economic or military means. Send armies to protect your cities and invade enemy territories. Lead your troops into decisive orchestrated sieges against player-built fortifications that are fought with hundreds of friends and foes simultaneously. Every victory or defeat shapes history forever.

Key Features in the Early Access launch:

Battles.  Over 200 players can battle it out in large, skirmish regions
Factions.  Team up and wage war against enemy kingdoms
Skills.  Train your character and practice your personal skills
Progression.  Unlock Swords, Polearms, Spears, Bows, Crossbows, and other authentic 13th Century weapons and armors to customize your look and play style
Dynamic Combat.  Fight with a fast-paced and intuitive combat system, based on the experience of Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) fighters and medieval manuscripts
Proprietary Engine. Donkey Crew's custom engine provides a highly optimized, beautiful experience.

GENRE: Multiplayer Action / Strategy
DEVELOPER: Donkey Crew
PUBLISHER:  Green Man Gaming
PLATFORM: PC
RELEASE: 25th August 2016

Codes are available now - Please contact david.martin@greenmangaming.com

Of Kings And Men is available on Green Man Gaming, Steam and Humble Store

Press Kit available here

Watch Donkey Crew's interview with Twitch at Gamescom 2016 here

For more information please contact:

David Martin
Marketing & Communications Manager
Green Man Gaming Publishing
E:  david.martin@greenmangaming.com
T:  +44 (0)20 7135 2270

About Green Man Gaming Publishing

Green Man Gaming Publishing helps developers publish their own games and bring them to market, supporting them every step of the way.  Launched in 2014, the publisher aims to deliver a wide catalogue of high-quality games from talented developers to a worldwide audience. By leveraging Green Man Gaming’s experts in digital marketing, PR, pricing, distribution and e-commerce, developers will gain vital support to gain maximum exposure and revenue for their games.

The company is also an award-winning global e-commerce technology company in the video games industry and the first choice for millions of passionate gamers around the world.  Green Man Gaming’s strong community platform, Playfire, provides gamers with access to the latest insights, reviews and updates from the industry and allows them to connect and obtain rewards for in-game activity.

About Donkey Crew

Donkey Crew are an international group of developers that created the popular Mount & Blade: Warband mod, cRPG. Assisted by Northern Ireland Screen, they moved from their respective countries to develop their first title, Of Kings And Men, from Belfast.

http://ofkingsandmen.net

About Northern Ireland Screen

Northern Ireland Screen is the government-backed lead agency in Northern Ireland for the film, television and digital content industry, driving global growth through boosting our economy, celebrating our culture and enhancing our children’s education.
In our 4-year strategy, Opening Doors, for the years 2014-18, we have a clear vision to transform the screen industries in Northern Ireland, ensuring that we have the strongest screen industry outside of London in the UK and Ireland within 10 years, supported by vibrant and diverse cultural voices that are recognized and celebrated equally at home and abroad.

This mission, to accelerate the development of a dynamic and sustainable screen industry and culture in Northern Ireland, is supported by intervention in the following areas:

Production and development funding for film, television and digital content;
A free information service and production support for filming in Northern Ireland, including locations FAM trips for incoming productions; help with sourcing crews and facilities; studio facilities Titanic Studios (with two new purpose-built sound stages and more planned) and the Linen Mill Studio, Belfast Harbour Studios as well as excellent alternative build space;
Marketing Northern Ireland as a worldwide production location and promoting its product and talent;
Financial assistance for training and skills development;
Production funding for Irish Language and Ulster-Scots programming;
Investment in film education, heritage and archive, film festivals and cultural cinema.

Northern Ireland Screen is a company limited by guarantee, currently employing 25 people and governed by a Board of thirteen Directors. The Chairwoman is Rotha Johnston and Kenneth Branagh is Honorary President.

Northern Ireland Screen is funded by Invest Northern Ireland (Invest NI) and by the Department for Communities and is delegated by the Arts Council of NI (ACNI) to administer Lottery funding for film in Northern Ireland.

www.northernirelandscreen.co.uk