La Derecha Diario Lords of the Fallen reaches 5.5 million players but still isn't profitable yet
CI Games' CEO confirms that Lords of the Fallen still hasn't caused profits despite the enormous number of players
Lords of the Fallen, the ambitious action role-playing game released by CI Games, recently reached 5.5 million players, a figure that confirms its impact among fans of the soulslike genre. However, the studio's CEO, Marek Tyminski, was surprised by revealing that the game is still not profitable, which exposes an increasingly common issue in the video game industry: the imbalance between audience success and net income.
Despite strong numbers in downloads and active users, the company has failed to recover development, marketing, and post-launch support costs, in an industry that is increasingly demanding and with tighter margins.
Investments that have yet to pay off
Since its version 2.0, the game has received substantial improvements with new updates, gameplay balancing, and additional content. These ongoing investments, aimed at improving the player experience and extending the product's lifespan, have represented a significant additional expense for CI Games.
- The game was launched at full price, but later had aggressive discounts.
- It was included in subscription services such as Game Pass.
- There was a strong marketing spend to position it globally.
- The company made staff cuts despite showing growth in other areas.
These factors have weakened the studio's ability to generate positive cash flow, despite the sustained growth of its player base.
A warning for the entire industry
The case of Lords of the Fallen raises an urgent question for the sector: is the current AAA video game development model sustainable without structural financial adjustments? With budgets that keep growing and ever-higher expectations from the public, profitability becomes a more complex goal to achieve.
CI Games' decision to move forward with a sequel demonstrates the commitment to the franchise, although it could also imply the need to redefine its economic priorities. For many analysts, CI Games' experience could mark a turning point in the way video games are planned and monetized in the medium term.
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