After reaching 5.5 million players,Lords of the Fallenis only now approaching the break-even point, according to the studio’s CEO. Despite being seen as one of the more successful AA games in recent years,Lords of the Fallenappears to have struggled to turn a profit for the developer.
Released in 2023,Lords of the Fallenwas deemed an instant success, selling nearly a million copies within just 10 days. The game was also well received by critics, holding a Metacritic score of 75 at the time of writing, placing it in the “Generally Favorable” category. What’s surprising is that, despite these accomplishments, and consideringLords of the Fallenisn’t a major AAA title, the cost-profit ratio for the developer isn’t quite what one might expect.
CI Games recently celebrated reaching 5.5 million all-time players, to which CEO Marek Tyminski responded, “And the breakeven is very close, too!” Tyminski’s tweet suggests that even after years of ongoing support and updates,Lords of the Fallenmay still not be profitable. One key detail to keep in mind, as the CEO pointed out, is that the recent milestone includesLords of Fallen’s Game Pass performanceas well. In other words, not all 5.5 million players paid the full price for the game, which could help explain why it has struggled to generate profit.
CI Games Estimated Lords of the Fallen Development Costs at $77 Million
A 2023 report claimed that the studio behindLords of the Fallenexpected total production costs, including marketing and physical release expenses, to reach around 281 million PLN, or roughly $77 million USD at current exchange rates. If that figure reflects the actual cost, and considering Tyminski’s remark about the game still not being profitable, it’s likely thatLords of the Fallenhasn’t surpassed the two-million-units-sold mark. Otherwise, at its base $60 price tag, it would have already started generating revenue.
Another factor to consider is the game’s post-launch costs.Lords of the Fallenreceived regular updates, suggesting that CI Games reinvested part of its earnings back into development. The CEO recently noted that sales have been picking up since the release of the v2.0 update.
Despite concerns aboutLords of the Fallen’s profitability, CI Games appears confident in the franchise’s future. The studio is already working on a sequel, scheduled for release in 2026. It remains to be seen whether thesequel toLords of the Fallenwill turn the franchise profitable or if the initial installment will reach the break-even point before the second game arrives.
Lords of the Fallen
WHERE TO PLAY
An epic, dark fantasy action-RPG set in a vast world of shadow and chaos.Overthrow a resurrected demon god in this all-new adventure set in an interconnected world five times larger than the original game.In Lords of the Fallen, you play as one of the fabled Dark Crusaders, who must journey through the realms of the living and the dead to disrupt the reign of Adyr, a cruel tyrant who has ushered in a new age of devastation for humanity.Along the way, you’ll endure colossal boss battles and get to grips with a fast and challenging combat system. With nine character classes and hundreds of weapons to choose from, you’ll customize your hero and develop your own play style as you set out to defy the gods. Will your legend be one of light… or one of darkness?
