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.