Paradox Interactive writes off The Lamplighers League as a $22.8 million flop

thesixthaxis.com:

Just a week after the game’s release, Paradox Interactive has disclosed that they are writing down the development costs for The Lamplighters League after disappointing sales at launch. All of the game’s development will be noted down as costs in this quarter, meaning that there will be a hefty 248 million Swedish kronor—roughly $22.8 million – dent on profits for the quarter.

“The Lamplighters League is a fun game with many strengths,” Paradox CEO Fredrik Wester said in the press release. “Even though we see cautiously positive player numbers in subscription services, the commercial reception has been too weak, which is frankly a big disappointment. Game projects are by their nature always risky, but at the end of the day we haven’t performed at the level we should. It is painful but makes us more eager to roll up our sleeves and do better.”

The decision to write down the development expenses was made after the game’s release as the company revises sales forecasts and noted dismal performance through the first few days. Paradox released the game onto PC and Xbox Series X|S initially, the console exclusivity also tying the game to Xbox Game Pass, which could have made a bit of a dent to the game’s profitability.

Prior to the game’s release, developer Harebrained Schemes saw some hefty layoffs, claimed to be around 80% on Resetera. “Harebrained Schemes’ staff was significantly reduced over the summer as the game entered its last phase of development and launch preparations,” a Paradox spokesperson confirmed to PC Gamer.

There are slim hopes for the game’s future, with Paradox stating that post-launch support plans are still being worked on, and there’s always the possibility of bringing the game to PS5, but everything seems