Blades of Fire, the most recent game from Lords of Shadow and Metroid Dread studio MercurySteam, has “underperformed”.
Announcing the news, Digital Bros — which owns 505 Games, Blades of Fire’s publisher — blamed “challenging competitive dynamics, driven by an oversupply of new releases and increasingly selective consumers.”
“This confirms the challenges faced by most industry peers and competitors in attracting consumers to new titles, particularly when these are not backed by an established brand driving a loyal player community,” the company said in a financial statement, warning of a further decline in its revenue for the fiscal year.
It’s unclear what, if any, impact this may have on MercurySteam or its development plans. The 23-year-old studio has quite the portfolio, having previously worked on Metroid: Samus Returns, Metroid Dread, and several Castlevania games, including Lords of Shadow, Mirror of Fate, and Lords of Shadow 2.
As some players posit on video game fan forum ResetEra, however, it’s possible Epic Game Store PC-exclusivity may have limited its audience. “Maybe not putting it exclusively for EGS could have helped,” wrote one. “I very much enjoyed the demo on EGS, but not enough to buy it on EGS, would have bought it on Steam though.”
“Blades of Fire’s blacksmithing burns bright, but overly simplistic combat and a mediocre story mean it doesn’t forge a sharp enough edge to put its customizable weapons to good use,” we wrote in IGN’s Blades of Fire review, awarding it 5/10.
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
