Crafting “The Era of Furūsiyya” for World of Tanks Blitz
From June 2023 to April 2024, I had the immense pleasure of working directly with Wargaming to bring to life a project that’s very close to my heart: The Era of Furūsiyya, a culturally rooted in-game event created specifically for players across the Middle East and North Africa.
This collaboration was part of my ongoing work with The 4 Winds Entertainment with notable lead dev Sara Bouiala, where I focus on building authentic, inclusive gaming experiences tailored to regional audiences. From concept development to cultural research, content adaptation, and reward design, I led the creative direction of this initiative in close coordination with Wargaming’s publishing and localization teams.
Celebrating Arab Heritage in the World of Tanks Universe
With The Era of Furūsiyya, I wanted to do more than just design a themed event—I wanted to highlight the incredible cultural depth and aesthetic richness of the Arab world in a way that felt meaningful to players from the Levant, the Maghreb, and the Gulf.
Drawing on personal heritage and months of cultural research, I worked to integrate symbols and motifs that would resonate emotionally and visually. The Saladin’s Eagle, Arabian Oryx, and Fennec Fox were selected not just for their iconic status, but for what they represent in the collective memory of the region.
This event also marked a significant milestone: the relaunch of Arabic localization for World of Tanks Blitz, now fully supporting Arabic text and voiceover. I had the chance to provide input on tone, phrasing, and regional consistency to ensure that Arabic-speaking players would finally see and hear their own language reflected with care and respect.
A Culturally Inspired Progression System
Designed as a seven-day quest, the event invites players to engage in five battles per day to unlock a series of culturally themed rewards. Each stage was crafted with both gameplay balance and narrative symbolism in mind.
The central collectibles were inspired by regional animals and emblems that hold deep cultural meaning—each linked to specific countries within the MENA region to foster a sense of national pride and recognition:
🦌 Arabian Oryx – chosen to represent the Gulf nations: Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, and Iraq
🦅 Saladin’s Eagle – a symbol of power and unity across the Levant and Nile: Lebanon, Egypt, Syria, Palestine, and Jordan
🦊 Fennec Fox – emblematic of the Maghreb region: Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Libya, and Mauritania
These symbols didn’t just look good—they were part of a larger intent to ground the game in culturally familiar references, and to offer players assets that felt personal, not generic.
The reward structure:
Day 1 – Collectible based on player region (Oryx, Eagle, or Fox)
Day 2 – 100,000 Credits
Day 3 – Avatar inspired by the same regional symbol
Day 4 – 10,000 Free EXP
Day 5 – Profile background tied to that symbol and country group
I personally directed the design brief and final visual review for all avatars and profile backgrounds, making sure we honored the visual language and motifs unique to each subregion.
Behind the Scenes: Video Production, Influencer Campaign & Arab Game Awards Spotlight
To amplify the reach of The Era of Furūsiyya, I led a full-scale video, influencer, and event-based marketing strategy tailored specifically for the MENA region.
This effort included:
Scripting, directing, and localizing video content that matched regional aesthetics and sensitivities
Managing Arabic-speaking influencers, briefing them on the cultural narrative, and aligning their content with the campaign’s goals
Securing high-visibility placement for the campaign at one of the region’s largest gaming events
Influencer Campaign Results:
Working with a curated selection of creators across TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook, we exceeded our initial KPIs by a significant margin:
🎯 Targeted: 1,000,000 views/impressions
✅ Achieved: 1,700,000 views/impressions
📣 Estimated PR value: 43M Monthly Active Users (MAU)
Notable creator content included:
YouTube Short
…and many more.
Despite the complex sociopolitical context during the campaign, all creators delivered on time, and the content showed clearly that interest in World of Tanks Blitz is growing in the region, especially with localized support.
A Spotlight Moment at the Arab Game Awards 2023
A key moment in our outreach strategy was securing a prime trailer slot at the Arab Game Awards 2023, one of the region’s largest digital gaming showcases.
The trailer—which I personally scripted, localized, and oversaw in production—aired roughly 29 minutes into the livestream and delivered extraordinary results:
🎥 Trailer Views:
1.3M views on TikTok via @ArabGameAwards
Total TikTok Live Impressions: 6.3M
YouTube Reach: 545,400 views
Livestream Total Views: 900,000+
Overall Event Impressions (cross-platform): 16 million+
⏩ Watch the trailer live moment here: YouTube timestamp @ 29:02
This strategic placement gave World of Tanks Blitz unprecedented visibility in the Arab gaming sphere, establishing the brand in the minds of players, creators, and media alike.
Looking Ahead
One of the things I’m most passionate about is helping global game developers build bridges with players through culture—not stereotypes. The Era of Furūsiyya is one of the clearest examples to date of what happens when a studio is willing to listen, and when cultural work is treated not as a checkbox but as a cornerstone.
I’m grateful to Wargaming for the creative trust and to my colleagues at The 4 Winds Entertainment for supporting my vision at every stage of the process.
World of Tanks Blitz is now available on iOS, Android, Steam, and Nintendo Switch with full Arabic support—an experience I hope will feel not only entertaining but personally meaningful to players across the region.
2023
