Ascendant Studios lays off almost half its employees weeks after Immortals of Aveum's...

[midian182]

What just happened? Ascendant Studios, the company behind the heavily hyped fantasy FPS Immortals of Aveum, has laid off nearly half its staff in the wake of its debut title's launch and subsequent poor sales. The indie studio said the layoffs were "difficult, but necessary."

It's estimated that Ascendant Studios employed between 80 to 100 people before releasing around 40, a decision that was announced by CEO Bret Robbins yesterday.

"Today, we are heartbroken as we part ways with friends and colleagues at Ascendant Studios – about 45% of our team," Robbins said on Twitter/X. "This was a painfully difficult, but necessary decision that was not made lightly; nevertheless, we have to make this adjustment now that Immortals of Aveum has shipped."

Robbins added that the studio will continue to support the development of the game and the Immortal's IP moving forward.

pic.twitter.com/gftU3XlbFZ

– Bret Robbins (@BretRobbins) September 14, 2023

A former employee told Polygon that the cuts were being blamed on poor sales of Immortals of Aveum, which only launched on August 22. The game was hyped due to it being one of the first big Unreal Engine 5.1 titles, boasting enhanced lighting, video effects, and physics through the likes of Nanite and Lumen.

A technical deep-dive on the tech powering Immortals of Aveum mentions the Nanite micropolygon geometry system, which intelligently adjusts the level of detail of any in-game object depending on how close you are to it. There's also a section on Lumen providing movable, changeable lighting in real-time.

But advanced graphical technology doesn't count for much when people simply don't enjoy the game – the PC performance issues didn't help, either. Immortals of Aveum arrived with very mixed reviews. And while its 73% Steam rating ranks it as 'Mostly Positive' – the same as Starfield – the 24-hour concurrent peak is just 67, while the all-time peak is a mere 751, according to SteamDB. The game is also available on PS5 and Xbox Series S/X, though it's unlikely to be doing much better on the consoles.

One former worker told Polygon that Immortals of Aveum is likely one of Electronic Arts' (its publisher) worst-selling EA Original titles.

Layoffs have become a sadly common sight in the game industry this year, with companies from EA and Ubisoft to CD Projekt Red and Take-Two letting go of staff. The biggest casualty came last month when Saints Row developer Volition shut down after 30 years due to a $2 billion investment deal falling through at parent company Embracer Group.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/100159-ascendant-studios-lays-off-almost-half-employees-weeks.html

 

[WhiteLeaff]

If he's the CEO, it's his fault for poor management. A CEO who doesn't know his product and market expectations should get out.

 

[Nandiman]

A. Don't launch a game with stratospheric system requirements and expect high sales
B. Don't launch a game a week before Starfield and expect high sales

 

[Puiu]

A. Don't launch a game with stratospheric system requirements and expect high sales
B. Don't launch a game a week before Starfield and expect high sales

Did they really think that they were going to be the next Crysis and that people would buy the game just to test their PC?

 

[Jarenien]

A. Don't launch a game with stratospheric system requirements and expect high sales

How is requiring a video card that is nearly 4.5 years old a 'stratospheric system requirement'?

I'm actually glad games are requiring more horsepower finally, this way we don't end up with the donkey piss games that need to run on a freaking toaster, hence hampering the game for the rest of us with rigs built in the last half a decade.

 

[corvard]

I believe many people didn't even heard about the game. Of course, sales failed.

 

[SirDigby]

It just wasn't a particularly good game. There's A LOT of games coming out at the moment, often not pushing the boat out in any particular direction whether its technically, or creatively, so when your game is a 7/10 why should people spend time playing, when there's 100 other things they could be doing or playing instead?
Between work, chores, TV, music, films, books, videogames and the few podcast and youtube channels I'm interested in, I find the second I have 'free time' I instantly get stressed about how to use that time most effectively. It sucks a lot of joy out of things that I genuinely love.

 

[Nandiman]

How is requiring a video card that is nearly 4.5 years old a 'stratospheric system requirement'?

I'm actually glad games are requiring more horsepower finally, this way we don't end up with the donkey piss games that need to run on a freaking toaster, hence hampering the game for the rest of us with rigs built in the last half a decade.

The most popular card on the Steam Hardware Survey is the 1650. So, yes. A 2080S, for minimum, not even recommended, is "stratospheric". Just because you (and I for that matter) have high end gaming rigs, that is not what Average Joe has.

 

[bviktor]

If he's the CEO, it's his fault for poor management. A CEO who doesn't know his product and market expectations should get out.

And that's precisely what you'd be doing as the CEO.

... right?

 

[bviktor]

The most popular card on the Steam Hardware Survey is the 1650. So, yes. A 2080S, for minimum, not even recommended, is "stratospheric". Just because you (and I for that matter) have high end gaming rigs, that is not what Average Joe has.

The Avg Joe usually doesn't have the recommended specs, get over it.

 

[i like foxes]

I have decided when I see a game and if it doesnt touch me at first sight I dont buy it or when it gets dirty cheap . This game is such.

 

[Nandiman]

The Avg Joe usually doesn't have the recommended specs, get over it.

Yes, that's why the sales are low, because the Average Joe can't afford the rigs that we have. You want high sales? Make a game that can be played by the majority of people, not the elite.

 

[Bobbydpue]

The Avg Joe usually doesn't have the recommended specs, get over it.

I don't know how you are missing the point the OP made. If the average PC gamer can't play a new game because they system doesn't support it, they won't buy it.

 

[Uncle Al]

In failing ventures like this the CEO and his top leaders should be the first to be replaced since they obviously didn't forecast the ventures success correctly and new, brighter minds are needed.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

The Avg Joe usually doesn't have the recommended specs, get over it.

The Avg Joe usually DOES have the minimum specs. That is not the case for this game. Somehow you dont understand this.

I believe many people didn't even heard about the game. Of course, sales failed.

This is the first I've heard of it. It's a fantasy FPS? Outside the novelty of that, what does it do? There are a ton of FPS games, if you dont do anything special you're gonna fall behind. It sure looks pretty, but thats all I know about it.

Per Eurogamer: "Mixing repetitive, imprecise combat with annoying characters and a landslide of nonsensical, proper noun-stuffed lore, Immortals of Aveum is almost so bad it's good. If only" and a user score of 54. Fromt he sounds of it is plagued with "modern" millennial writing. Yeah nah, I'm good.

 

[Neatfeatguy]

It's basically Lichdom: Battlemage with prettier graphics. Lichdom was okay, nothing super exciting about it. This game really comes off as being no different - you cobble together spells how you want and you cast them at things. Been there, done that.

I don't want to say that it's easy making a new game for everyone to enjoy, but if you make a game that's similar to ones already out there and those games didn't get rave reviews, you better make sure you're adding something to your game that really helps it stand out.

I'm not interested in paying $60 for a medicore game that I already own (Lichdom: Battlemage) and I played years ago just because it has prettier graphics. No thank you. I'll go fire up Lichdom and replay that if I want to cast spells.

 

[kira setsu]

I bought it, played it and had fun with it, thought it was a solid game, magical CoD? yes, but it did it well imo

but it didnt get any coverage from any big names to help it out either, I'll never understand gaming media, they'll follow soulslike clone 124 to the ends of the earth but anything thats slightly different than the normal games we've played a milliion times before gets ignored.

shoot, theres so many videos going over settings for starfield and its ancient af engine yet this game is running on the newest version unreal and got ignored by them.

oh well, it is what it is.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

I bought it, played it and had fun with it, thought it was a solid game, magical CoD? yes, but it did it well imo
they'll follow soulslike clone 124 to the ends of the earth but anything thats slightly different than the normal games we've played a milliion times before gets ignored.

Bruh. BRUH,
Gee, I wonder why CoD clone #69420, now with rip off tolkin, didnt get attention? Must be the media!

 

[axiomatic13]

My reason for lack of interest. They're tied to EA. I just don't buy anything on day one tied to EA. I have trust issues with anything EA. EA has earned my distrust.

 

[RandomWAN]

Did they really think that they were going to be the next Crysis and that people would buy the game just to test their PC?

Crysis was actually fun to play and did something different. This game looks bland as all hell.

 

[Gars]

Game play - thats the key
you can put any RGB/RTS/FRS/GTR/DDR/ and so on
no game play - no sell

 

[trparky]

The Avg Joe usually DOES have the minimum specs.

Yeah, the key word is "minimum". And what will that get you? I mean you already have to have a 3080Ti to get a minimum of 60 FPS at medium settings at 1440p. You need to have a 2080 Super to get a minimum of 60 FPS at 1080p settings with low settings.

If you have to nerf the game that badly to be able to play it on the hardware that the average person has, the game is dead on arrival.

 

[vicsrealms]

I barely even remembering hearing anything about the game. Then when I did hear about it, and went to check it out on Steam. Its an EA game, and it has Denuvo on it. EA is still on my Shift List with Ubisoft and Activision.

 

[Nobina]

How is requiring a video card that is nearly 4.5 years old a 'stratospheric system requirement'?

I'm actually glad games are requiring more horsepower finally, this way we don't end up with the donkey piss games that need to run on a freaking toaster, hence hampering the game for the rest of us with rigs built in the last half a decade.

You have Starfield. Mediocre game that requires top of the line hardware to run maxed out while looking like ****. Perfect game for you.

 

[VaRmeNsI]

As soon as I heard EA, I knew why...