The reboot of Alone in the Dark did not achieve the expected sales figures, according to the financially struggling Embracer Group.
In its financial report for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024, Embracer revealed that both Alone in the Dark and Outcast: A New Beginning experienced “softer-than-expected performance” and fell “below management expectations.” This means they did not sell enough units to be profitable.
Alone in the Dark, which launched in March, was a reimagining of the iconic franchise and aimed to be “a love letter to the 90s cult classic horror game.” It featured performances by notable Hollywood actors Jodie Comer (Killing Eve, Free Guy) and David Harbour (Stranger Things, Black Widow), marking their debut in video games with their likenesses captured.
Despite these high-profile elements, Alone in the Dark did not attract a broad audience. Data from SteamDB shows it peaked at 1,628 concurrent players on Steam at launch, but this number has sharply declined.
Embracer’s remarks on the commercial failure of Alone in the Dark come a month after layoffs reportedly occurred at its developer, the Embracer-owned Pieces Interactive. Embracer has not commented on these layoffs.
Embracer has laid off thousands of employees since the collapse of a $2 billion deal, reportedly with the Saudi government-funded Savvy Games Group, in 2023. In January, it was revealed that Embracer had canceled a new Deus Ex game that had been in development for two years and laid off staff at Eidos Montreal. Embracer-owned studios such as Saints Row developer Volition and Timesplitters developer Free Radical Design have also shut down.
Last month, Embracer announced plans to split into three separate companies: Asmodee Group, Coffee Stain & Friends, and Middle-earth Enterprises & Friends, following the sale of multiple businesses including Gearbox, the maker of Borderlands, and Saber Interactive, known for the Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic remake. The largest shareholder, CEO Lars Wingefors, plans to establish a new long-term ownership structure and “will remain a long-term, active, committed and supportive owner of all three entities,” Embracer stated.
On a positive note, Dead Island 2, developed by UK studio Dambuster Studios, has been successful, selling over three million units and reaching over seven million players, partly due to its release on Xbox Game Pass.
Looking ahead, Embracer has high expectations for the upcoming open-world medieval RPG Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, set to release in late 2024, with hopes it will match the sales of Dead Island 2. Other anticipated titles include Killing Floor 3, Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed, Hyperlight Breaker, Gothic Remake, Titan Quest 2, and at least three other “important, unannounced releases.” In total, more than 70 game projects are expected to launch during the financial year ending March 31, 2025.
Embracer also owns Middle-earth Enterprises and has licensed the Lord of the Rings IP to Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema for two new films.
