Wicked Saints Turns Players into IRL Superheroes with the Help of e.l.f. Beauty and Discord (opens in new tab)

Wicked Saints Studios has launched World Reborn, a pioneering interactive story game designed to translate digital achievements into tangible real-world social impact. Built by a team of peacebuilders and behavioral scientists, the platform leverages positive psychology to reveal players' character strengths through narrative gameplay and "Training Mods." The launch marks a new paradigm for brand-led missions where Gen Z players can improve their personal wellbeing while contributing to global social causes.

Behavioral Technology and Skill-Building

• The game is described as "Duolingo for saving humanity," using bite-sized interactive narratives to improve player wellbeing and relationships.
• The platform employs behavioral technology to identify a player's natural "character strengths," encouraging them to apply these traits to day-to-day reality.
• Mastery within the game is specifically designed to bridge the gap between digital entertainment and real-life skills, such as resilience and emotional regulation.
• The project emerged from Niantic’s BDI incubator, utilizing the expertise of former senior engineers from Pokémon GO.

Brand-Led Social Impact Missions

• The platform features "Training Mods," which are real-world quests hosted by corporate and non-profit partners to tackle specific social issues.
• Exclusive launch partner e.l.f. Beauty has developed quests focused on building confidence in young girls and supporting Elite Women Athletes, featuring insights from WNBA star Aerial Powers.
• Discord serves as the exclusive communications partner, hosting Training Mods centered on teen mental health, authenticity, and the use of gaming for stress reduction.
• The Starlight Children’s Foundation provides a mission where players send words of encouragement to hospitalized children, using the story of a transplant survivor to foster empathy and connection.

Connecting with Gen Z Through Authenticity

• The platform targets the 13–24 demographic, noting that 87% of Gen Z play games at least once a week.
• By moving beyond traditional advertising, brands can connect with Gen Z through the social spaces and authentic interactions they already prioritize.
• The game leverages the social infrastructure of Discord to help players form communities around their unique strengths and gameplay experiences.

The Multi-Disciplinary Development Team

• Wicked Saints is a Black female-led studio backed by major industry players including Riot Games and Reid Hoffman.
• The leadership team combines an Emmy-award winning storyteller and international peacebuilder with a behavioral science researcher.
• Creative talent for the project includes veterans from major franchises and productions such as Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Love Death + Robots, and Marvel.

For organizations looking to engage younger demographics, World Reborn offers a scalable model for integrating corporate social responsibility directly into the gaming experience. The app is currently available on the Apple App Store for an initial eight-week limited run.