Space Marine 2 Dev Says Game Can Succeed Without Selling Absurd Number Of Units

As a seasoned gamer with decades of experience under my belt, I can confidently say that Space Marine 2 has truly outshone its predecessors and many other recent releases in the gaming industry. The game’s success story is a breath of fresh air, especially when compared to some high-profile flops like Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Star Wars Outlaws, and Concord.


In the past month, Space Marine 2 from Warhammer 40,000 was launched to both rave reviews and strong market success, amassing over 2 million players at its debut and setting a new record as the most-played Warhammer game on Steam in terms of sheer numbers. In discussing the game’s triumphs, Saber Interactive’s creative director Tim Willits shared his belief that the game could thrive without having to achieve exceptionally high sales targets.

In his conversation with IGN, Willits stated that it’s unnecessary for Space Marine 2 to reach 4 million sales units to be considered successful. He pointed out that there are numerous games, particularly from developers outside North America, which are deemed failures if they don’t sell more than 5 million copies. In essence, he questioned the nature of our industry where a project is considered a flop if it doesn’t surpass such a high sales threshold.

In contrast to other well-known games that underperformed in sales, such as Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Star Wars Outlaws, and Concord, Saber Interactive’s success with their game is largely due to the studio staying committed to the fundamental principles of its Space Marine 2 blueprint and steering clear of an “over-ambitious” development scenario, as expressed by Saber Interactive’s chief creative officer Tim Willits.

Willits emphasized that the essential aspect of our design philosophy lies in the actions taken each second within the gameplay, as well as the sensation experienced during those interactions. He stated that we prioritize these immediate gaming experiences and feelings. Furthermore, he mentioned that our team adheres to fundamental principles such as embodying the ultimate Space Marine, melee combat, ranged attacks, and swarms of enemies. Willits cautioned against a common development pitfall: over-scoping games by attempting to replicate elements from recently released titles or adding unnecessary features, which can ultimately distract from the core elements that make the game enjoyable.

Following the remarks made by Tim Sweeney, head of Epic Games, about the challenges faced by AAA games this week, it appears that the gaming industry is undergoing a major transformation. According to him, big-budget games are not performing as well as anticipated due to players increasingly favoring large-scale games where they can play with a larger number of friends. However, exceptions to Sweeney’s observations have emerged recently, such as Elden Ring, Black Myth: Wukong, and Space Marine 2. Despite featuring cooperative elements, these games essentially remain single-player experiences at their heart.

Additionally in the latest update about Space Marine 2, there will be further personalization choices given to the elite units known as the Emperor’s Finest. A recent update also brought significant repairs and novel elements to the game itself.

Read More

2024-10-04 16:39