We have long expressed the view that tactical card roleplaying game Marvel's Midnight Suns might have been tailored for too niche an audience.

Now the verdict is in. Bloomberg's Jason Schreier hails it a critical success but commercial flop and reports Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick pointing blame at timing.

Some news: Marvel's Midnight Suns was a critical success but a commercial flop. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick told me in an interview this afternoon that "it's possible the release window wasn't perfect" but that he thinks it could have a long tail, like other Firaxis games

We saw the heavy discounts start very early for this title and that rarely speaks to strong sales.

Timing?

Prefacing this with we primarily monitor science fiction gaming and are less across fantasy, Warhammer 40: Darktide and The Callisto Protocol were the only major titles releasing in close proximity.

Also, all three titles are different genres - online shooter, survival horror and tactical RPG - and also very different in tone - ultra grim, ultra scary and ultra Marvel.

Appealing to very different gamers.

Sales for The Callisto Protocol are expected to reach 2 million this year which isn't anything to sneeze at but far below the publisher's expectations of 5 million.

Very direct competitor to The Callisto Protocol courtesy of both style and pedigree, the Dead Space remake seems to have only done half as well in comparison.

On the superhero front DC's Gotham Knights released a few months before Midnight Suns, was panned by critics and was also swiftly discounted.

Sales figures for Gotham Knights and Warhammer 40K: Darktide are not presently known.

Marvel's Midnight Suns is available now on PC (Steam and Epic), Xbox X|S and PS5.

The Callisto Protocol is available now on PC (Steam and Epic), Xbox One and X|S, and PS 4 and 5.

The Dead Space remake is available now on PC (Steam and Epic), Xbox X|S and PS 5.

Warhammer 40K: Darktide is available now on PC (Steam) and Xbox X|S.

Gotham Knights is available now on PC (Steam and Epic), Xbox X|S and PS 5.

[ Main Image: Marvel's Midnight Suns. Credit: 2K via Steam. ]

References

Dring, Christopher (January 20, 2023). Dead Space is No.1, but launch sales lower than The Callisto Protocol | UK Boxed Charts. GamesIndustry.biz.

Schreier, Jason [@jasonschreier] (February 7, 2023). Some news. Twitter.

Steam. Marvel's Midnight Suns. 2K. (viewed February 8, 2023).

Wikipedia. Gotham Knights (video game). (viewed February 8, 2023)

Wikipedia. Warhammer 40K: Darktide. (viewed February 8, 2023)

Wilson, Mike (January 16, 2023). Sales Targets Adjusted For ‘Callisto Protocol’ After Initial Performance Bloody Disgusting.