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Players will also contribute to the Free Fire lore - Harold Teo's interview

Harold Teo, the producer of Garena Free Fire, shares his thoughts about How To Start A Fire animated film and plans to expand Free Fire's universe in the future.
Players will also contribute to the Free Fire lore - Harold Teo's interview

Garena has recently launched the Free Fire Tales campaign to make players familiar with its lore which introduced the first-ever Free Fire animation series How To Start A Fire featuring Hoyato as the lead. 

The short movie was released on April 23 on Free Fire's official YouTube channel in which players got to witness the backstory of Hayato and how he proceeds in his life to find ways to resolve his inner struggles and overcome obstacles in his path. 

Introducing Free Fire's lore is a groundbreaking step by Garena to further expand the game's universe and make players attached to it even more. In order to discuss the ideas and goals behind How To Start A Fire, I got an opportunity to talk to Harold Teo, Producer of Garena Free Fire, and here are his thoughts and expectation from this series.

Things go unplanned for Hayato and his family.
Things go unplanned for Hayato and his family. (Picture: Garena)

What made you decide that it's time for Free Fire players to get introduced to the game's lore, and what are your goals with it?

We believe that creating an engaging narrative for players, like a game’s lore, does not happen overnight; it takes years to develop. Building Free Fire’s lore is one of our more recent initiatives, and it is something we will continue to work on with the help of our players.

Every content we add to the Free Fire universe are pieces we believe will enhance both the game’s lore and playing experience. By expanding the lore of the game, our hope is that players build even deeper connections with the characters they already know and love through their gameplay experience. Players will also have the opportunity to contribute to the Free Fire lore by sharing their aspirations and providing feedback on our social channels - after all, they are an integral part of this journey.

Why did you choose Hayato to be the protagonist, and which characters can we expect to see in How To Start A Fire?

We started off Free Fire Tales with Hayato’s story for players to get familiar with the game’s lore. As one of our players’ and our favourite characters in Free Fire, we thought that beginning with Hayato’s story would be one that is most interesting and relevant for players to explore. In addition to Hayato as the main lead, new characters such as Hayato’s father and the Horizon board members were also introduced in the film, How To Start A Fire. More details about Hayato’s story can be found on our official Free Fire Universe website.

Our players will have an important role in dictating how the Free Fire story unfolds. Hearing from them through various activations and campaigns would guide the Free Fire adventure. We will take feedback from our community and include them into the existing narrative.

Can we expect to see various in-game pets in How To Start A Fire or some other upcoming film?

Every one of our creations and campaigns are inspired by our players themselves, what they like and hope to see in the game. The films players can look forward to will be about the characters in Free Fire that interest them the most, or that have not yet been quite explained in the game. More will be revealed in time - so stay tuned!

Get to know more about Hayato in How To Start A Fire.
Get to know more about Hayato in How To Start A Fire. (Picture: Garena)

Will the animated series be used to introduce new in-game characters in the future?

Our primary goal with the introduction of Free Fire’s lore is to allow our players a deeper understanding of the game, its characters, and how they fit in the grand scheme of things. How characters are integrated into the game must also be thoughtfully mapped out and flow seamlessly with the overarching narrative. Like most new characters, they are not often launched or promoted through a single platform, but centred around a campaign or storyline. An animated series could be another of those mediums we tap on as part of future campaigns, but only if it fits.

Free Fire has been the most downloaded mobile game of 2019-2022. What are your plans to make the Free Fire universe more successful through its lore? Also, what plans do you have other than this?

Garena has always been committed to creating fresh content that will add to our players’ experience in Free Fire, and we do this through various ways.

Through the expansion of Free Fire’s lore, this creates more content that can be translated into new ways - like an animated series - players can resonate with and immerse themselves in the game and beyond. Through that, players will also be able to share these new experiences with other players, or audiences outside of the game.

We also produce content and campaigns that explore the other interest areas of our players, be it music, style, or anime, to name a few. The melding of our game with pop culture that’s both global and local, enables us to further relate to our players, and elevate their Free Fire experience beyond boxed screens.

Within the game itself, we have also expanded our variety of game modes players can pick from, appealing to different gamers around the world. While we first started out as a battle royale-only title, we now have various game modes that allow players to enjoy Free Fire solo or with friends.

Do you want to say something to the Free Fire fans?

Free Fire Tales: The First Battle marks the beginning of the Free Fire Universe, which will continue to unfold. Our team is thrilled to reveal to you a new side of Free Fire after years of enjoying the game. We invite you to share your feedback through our social channels, and be on the lookout for more!

 

For more on the game, please make sure to check our section dedicated to Free Fire guides, news, tips, and more.

Featured image via Garena.