Atlas Fallen launch sales fall short of expectations due to "very intense competitive environment"

Atlas Fallen, a new action RPG from German studio Deck 13, is selling below publisher Focus Entertainment’s initial forecasts. However, the companies plan to improve the game with further updates.

• In a new investor update, Focus Entertainment announced that the launch of Atlas Fallen is “below initial forecasts.”
• The publisher didn’t disclose exact sales figures, but it expected a more successful launch based on the “qualities of the game.” Focus also cited a “very intense competitive environment” as the reason for lower-than-expected sales.
• “Deck 13 and Focus Entertainment are currently working on improving the game,” the company said in a statement, adding that it will share more information by the end of September.

Launched on August 10, Atlas Fallen is a third-person action game where everything is focused on the ability to manipulate sand (it gives special powers and allows players to use sand-infused weapons).  The game received mixed reviews from critics, with an average score ranging from 64 (PS5) to 71 (PC) on Metacritic.

On Steam, 61% of the 693 user reviews are positive. Atlas Fallen also peaked at 2,679 concurrent players (via SteamDB) and debuted at #64 on the platform’s Weekly Top Sellers charts.

The game’s developer Deck13 is best known for Soulslike action RPG The Surge and its sequel. Both games were published by Focus Entertainment, which eventually acquired the studio for €7.1 million in 2020.

With Atlas Fallen, Deck13 wanted to move away from the Soulslike formula by trying to create a unique combat system. However, the main criticism of the game was centered around its narrative and poorly written characters.