MercurySteam's Blades of Fire "Underperforms"

Blades of Fire, the latest release from MercurySteam (creators of Lords of Shadow and Metroid Dread), has reportedly "fallen short of expectations."

Publisher Digital Bros., parent company of 505 Games, attributed the underperformance to "intense market competition fueled by excessive new game releases and increasingly discerning players" in a financial disclosure.

"This situation reflects industry-wide difficulties in drawing players to new intellectual properties, especially those lacking established franchise recognition or dedicated fanbases," the company stated while forecasting reduced annual revenue.

The studio's future projects remain unaffected for now. With 23 years in development, MercurySteam boasts an impressive catalog including Metroid: Samus Returns, Metroid Dread, and multiple Castlevania titles like Lords of Shadow, Mirror of Fate, and Lords of Shadow 2.

Discussions on gaming forum ResetEra suggest the Epic Games Store exclusivity may have constrained its potential reach. One user commented: "The EGS demo showed promise, but not enough to purchase there - I'd have bought immediately on Steam."

Our IGN review scored Blades of Fire 5/10, noting: "While the weapon-crafting system shines, repetitive combat and forgettable storytelling prevent its innovative customization features from reaching their full potential."