Hellblade 2's Disappointing Launch on Steam; Game Is Doing Worse Than Hi-Fi Rush and Redfall
One of this year's most important games from the Xbox stable, Senua's Saga: Hellblade II, is failing on Steam. The title from Ninja Theory scored a worse start on Valve's platform than Hi-Fi Rush or Redfall.
The most significant launch this week is Senua's Saga: Hellblade II. Ninja Theory's latest title didn't disappoint critics, receiving high ratings from them, although slightly lower than the original.
Hellblade 2 release on Steam is clearly weaker than Hi-Fi Rush and Redfall debut
...the good reception of one of the most anticipated single-player games from the Xbox stable didn't transfer into the game's popularity - at least on Steam. Hellblade II had "only" 3,982 players on Steam during its launch day (via SteamDB). This is a poor result for a game in the AA/AAA segment.
Therefore, Ninja Theory's game had a notably worse premiere on Valve's platform compared to games like Hi-Fi Rush (6,132 players at the peak time) or Redfall (6,124 players). It is disturbing because the teams that created these titles were recently closed by… Microsoft, the owner of Ninja Theory.
The poor result of Senua's Saga: Hellblade II can of course be explained by the game's availability in the Game Pass service. However, Hi-Fi Rush and Redfall also debuted there and had a better start on Steam, although this didn't save their developers from being shut down.
Senua's Saga: Hellblade II doesn't have to share the fate of the aforementioned titles, but the game's performance on the Valve platform is certainly not optimistic - especially considering the game was developed for at least 5 years, which must have consumed a significant amount of financial resources.
Two factors that may have contributed to the low popularity of Hellblade 2
Hellblade II's lack of popularity on Steam could be the result of various factors. Insufficient game marketing, especially by Microsoft, was highlighted by fans and industry journalists shortly before the premiere. The promotional campaign for the title launched only on May 9 - less than three weeks before its release - and even so, it wasn't very impressive.
The second factor that probably contributed to the poor start of Senua's Saga: Hellblade II on Steam was its price, and more specifically - its relation to the length of the game. The Ninja Theory studio's game provides an average of 6-8 hours of entertainment and is priced at $49.99 on Steam. The cost wouldn't be off-putting if the game wasn't mostly a one-time experience, like most narrative-focused "linear" games. On the flip side, considering the title's excellent audiovisual presentation, the meticulous execution of its individual elements, and the devs' targeting of the AAA segment, it can be inferred that it has been priced optimally or even undervalued.
Will Ninja Theory studio share the fate of Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin? It's still too early to make such judgments, but the premiere of Senua's Saga: Hellblade II on Steam certainly cannot be called a success - despite good reviews from players (88% positive opinions out of just over 1,100).
