Metroid Dread Developer MercurySteam's Blades of Fire Deemed To Have 'Underperformed'

Blades of Fire, the astir caller crippled from Lords of Shadow and Metroid Dread workplace MercurySteam, has "underperformed".

Announcing the news, Digital Bros — which owns 505 Games, Blades of Fire's steadfast — blamed "challenging competitory dynamics, driven by an oversupply of caller releases and progressively selective consumers."

"This confirms the challenges faced by astir manufacture peers and competitors successful attracting consumers to caller titles, peculiarly erstwhile these are not backed by an established marque driving a loyal subordinate community," the institution said successful a fiscal statement, informing of a further diminution successful its gross for the fiscal year.

It's unclear what, if any, interaction this whitethorn person connected MercurySteam oregon its improvement plans. The 23-year-old workplace has rather the portfolio, having antecedently worked connected Metroid: Samus Returns, Metroid Dread, and respective Castlevania games, including Lords of Shadow, Mirror of Fate, and Lords of Shadow 2.

As immoderate players posit connected video crippled instrumentality forum ResetEra, however, it's imaginable Epic Game Store PC-exclusivity whitethorn person constricted its audience. "Maybe not putting it exclusively for EGS could person helped," wrote one. "I precise overmuch enjoyed the demo connected EGS, but not capable to bargain it connected EGS, would person bought it connected Steam though."

"Blades of Fire’s blacksmithing burns bright, but overly simplistic combat and a mediocre communicative mean it doesn’t forge a crisp capable borderline to enactment its customizable weapons to bully use," we wrote successful IGN's Blades of Fire review, awarding it 5/10.

Vikki Blake is simply a newsman for IGN, arsenic good arsenic a critic, columnist, and advisor with 15+ years acquisition moving with immoderate of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's besides a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her astatine BlueSky.