An “oversupply of new releases and increasingly selective consumers” are to blame for PS5 action game Blades of Fire’s underperformance.
That’s according to Italian organisation Digital Bros, which owns publisher 505 Games. The firm has warned that its earnings will be lower than the previous year as a result of the title flopping. It’s predicting a €10 million (~$11.7 million) loss.
In a statement, it argued that it’s “particularly difficult” to launch new IP in the current climate, and it added:
“The group’s new video game Blades of Fire, which was released on 22nd May 2025 for consoles and as a PC exclusive on the Epic Games Store underperformed the group’s expectations, despite receiving generally positive reviews from both the industry press and players. 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.”
It’s true that the game was relatively well received upon release, as we awarded it a 7/10 in our Blades of Fire PS5 review, describing it as a “well-made and lengthy action adventure romp”. The game also commands a respectable if unremarkable 71 on Metacritic, and it has a very adequate 3.86 rating on the PS Store.
Some fans have pointed to the Epic Games Store exclusivity as one reason for its underperformance, as PC players tend to prefer buying their games through Steam. Although it’s worth noting that 505 Games likely received a sizeable pay out from Epic Games in exchange for exclusivity.
One idea we think gamers may need to wrestle with is that there are just too many games. With so much content to choose from, including live service titles which demand enormous investments of time, it’s simply not enough for a game to be good anymore.
Blades of Fire may still find success over time, as it’s currently discounted digitally and could eventually get added to subscriptions like PS Plus. But for now, it doesn’t look like it’s set the world alight at all.
Did you play this game? Why do you think it’s underperformed? Forge some thoughts in the comments section below.
Source link
