February 13th 2024.
The game Immortals of Aveum was highly anticipated, but unfortunately, it did not live up to expectations. A former employee of Ascendant Studios, the game's developer, has come forward to shed some light on the project's development and why it ultimately failed.
Even before its release, many people were skeptical of Immortals of Aveum based on the trailers. However, it seems that this sentiment was shared by the employees at Ascendant Studios as well. The game was initially marketed as a magical version of Call of Duty, but it received mediocre reviews upon its release in August of last year. Shortly after, CEO Bret Robbins confirmed that nearly half of the studio's staff had been laid off due to poor sales.
According to a former employee, the game cost a whopping $125 million to make, and it was doomed from the start. They explained that the game was massively overscoped for a debut project and that the cost of development was around $85 million. Additionally, EA contributed $40 million for marketing and distribution. Although the development team was talented, the decision to make a high-budget single-player shooter in today's market was a terrible idea. The game also tried to leverage Unreal Engine 5, which only added to the challenges. The final product was a bloated and repetitive campaign that was too long for its own good.
Another employee, who still works at Ascendant Studios, mentioned that Immortals of Aveum had all the features that players often request, but it still sold poorly. It was not a sequel or a remake, did not require hundreds of hours to beat, had no microtransactions, and did not force players to grind in an open-world. Despite receiving decent reviews and being free of these common criticisms, the game did not sell well.
The game's sales were a tiny fraction of what was projected, resulting in almost 50 employees losing their jobs. To put things into perspective, leaked Sony documents from last year revealed that Horizon Forbidden West had a budget of $212 million, and The Last of Us Part 2 cost around $220 million. While Immortals of Aveum had a lower budget in comparison, it was still a significant investment for a debut game.
This problem may not be exclusive to Ascendant Studios, as the gaming industry as a whole is facing challenges. The article mentions that this studio may have been a victim of the volatile market that requires a considerable amount of capital to participate at a professional level. The COVID pandemic and other factors have also contributed to the current state of the industry, leading to mass layoffs at various companies.
In the end, it's a sad reality that even with a talented team and all the right features, a game can still fail due to various factors. As always, the gaming community is encouraged to share their thoughts and opinions through various channels, such as email, comments, Twitter, and newsletters. And if you have any letters or features to submit, you can easily do so through the Submit Stuff page on the site. Stay tuned for more exclusive gaming content and early releases by signing up for our newsletter.
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