Operation Chrono
Read the story- Brand
- Cristiano Ronaldo
- Year
- 2020
- Objective
- Awareness
- Industry
- Entertainment
- Mechanic
- Arcade & Action
- Platform
- In-Game
- Added
- October 2026
- 1
The campaign opens with a news post and social teasers announcing that a new character, tied to a still-unnamed real athlete, will reshape the entire game world; through early December the character appears only as a masked 'Mystery Character,' with an in-game guessing event that gives players a limited number of attempts to name him for a free reward before Cristiano Ronaldo is revealed as the game's global ambassador in a 'Be The Legend' trailer.
- 2
On login after the update, the player finds the map and interface rebuilt into a dystopian, futuristic-slum version of the world; a portal on the Spawn Island lets the player freely switch between this campaign setting and the classic Free Fire map.
- 3
The player works through daily 'Chrono Mission' tasks in the events tab, earning Memory Medals that are spent in an event shop on cosmetics, items, and diamonds.
- 4
Once unlocked, the player selects Chrono as a playable character and uses his active skill, a force field that blocks a fixed amount of incoming damage while letting the user and nearby allies shoot out and move faster; leveling the character up to level 6 scales the speed bonus and shortens the cooldown, while the field's duration stays fixed.
- 5
Two limited-time modes join the mode select screen: 'Cosmic Racer,' a vehicle-based team battle where one player drives and the other fires weapons until only one team survives, playable solo or with a friend; and 'The Chosen One,' a kill-count match between two squads where random forced 1v1 duels award the winning team a timed double-score bonus.
- 6
The campaign also adds new weapons and activities to the map and loadout: a dual-wield melee weapon, a rank-gated gold weapon skin, a shooting-gallery minigame, and vending machines.
- 7
Campaign-themed cosmetics, including character outfits and weapon skins, are sold through the event's shop and rewards.
- 8
After the event ends, Chrono loses his event-exclusive status and returns periodically to the general item shop, purchasable only with premium currency.
Objective
Leverage global football icon Cristiano Ronaldo to drive user growth for Garena Free Fire, reaching hardcore gamers, casual players, and mainstream audiences simultaneously. The collaboration aimed to establish Free Fire as the premier battle royale platform for global entertainment partnerships while generating mainstream media attention.
Solution
Garena integrated Ronaldo as a playable in-game character named 'Chrono,' positioning him as Free Fire's global ambassador. The Operation Chrono campaign launched in December 2020 with a futuristic in-game universe aesthetic featuring advanced technology and immersive environment. The rollout included exclusive cosmetics, specialized character abilities tied to Ronaldo's football legacy, and exclusive cosmetics. The collaboration was orchestrated by agency SportQuake, which handled strategic partnership development, rights negotiation across the football ecosystem, and market positioning across key regions.
