A former developer on the single-player shooter Immortals of Aveum has spoken out, calling the game’s ambitious budget a “truly awful idea” in a new report on IGN.
Launched in August 2023 with a reported price tag of $125 million, Immortals of Aveum received mixed reviews, earning a 50% recommended score on VSG and an average critic score of 74/100. Despite this decent critical reception, the game failed to attract a large audience, leading to layoffs at developer Ascendant Studios just a month after release.
Speaking anonymously, the former developer claims the high budget stemmed from several factors: an overambitious scope for a debut title, the adoption of the demanding Unreal Engine 5, and a hefty $40 million marketing push from publisher Electronic Arts.
“At a high level, Immortals was massively overscoped for a studio’s first project,” the developer said. “The development cost itself was around $85 million, and I think EA kicked in $40 million for marketing and distribution. Sure, there was some serious talent on the team, but trying to make a AAA single-player shooter in today’s market, especially with a new IP, was a truly awful idea.”
Industry analysts agree that the single-player genre faces challenges in the current landscape, where live-service games with ongoing monetization models often dominate the market.
Additionally, the crowded release windows of nearly every month in 2023, filled with heavy hitters, might have overshadowed “Immortals of Aveum.”
One of IGN’s sources for the report continued, “For all the things Ascendant did right – paying people well, an entirely remote studio, little overtime until the end, chill environment with lots of freedom to grow, respecting QA, hiring juniors, etc. – it did not work out.”
These insider perspectives offers a glimpse into the complex financial realities of game development. The high cost of production, coupled with the uncertain return on investment for single-player titles, highlights the pressure studios face to strike a balance between innovation and financial viability.
The future of Ascendant Studios remains uncertain.
While the studio has not announced any new projects, the layoffs and financial performance of “Immortals of Aveum” raise questions about its ability to secure funding for future endeavors.
This story serves as a cautionary tale for developers and publishers alike, underlining the importance of careful planning, realistic budgeting, and adapting to the evolving market landscape to ensure the success of their ambitious projects.
Immortals of Aveum earned a Skip It recommendation from VSG. In our summary of critic consensus for the title, we wrote: “Immortals of Aveum puts an interesting twist on FPS conventions, but a cringeworthy, nonsensical script and repetitive combat dims the experience.”
