Key Takeaways
- According to Don’t Nod Entertainment, Jusant and Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden failed to meet sales expectations.
- Due to this, the studio has revealed that it’s putting two of its unannounced projects temporarily on hold as it reevaluates its strategy.
- The studio’s next game, Lost Records: Bloom and Rage, will be released in February 2025.
Don’t Nod Entertainment has shared that its most recent games, Jusant and Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden, didn’t meet the studio’s sales expectations. The French video game developer is most well known for its popular Life is Strange narrative adventure franchise, but Don’t Nod Entertainment has branched out since parting ways with the IP, shifting toward developing more triple-A-style games while at the same time still making smaller, indie-style experiences. The studio’s 90s-inspired spiritual successor to Life is Strange, Lost Records: Bloom and Rage, is scheduled for release in early 2025.
Don’t Nod stayed busy in 2023, releasing two smaller indie-style titles. The narrative adventure game Harmony: The Fall of Reverie featured a gorgeous 2D art style and garnered positive reviews when it was released last summer. In the Fall, the studio released a climbing adventure game titled Jusant, taking players on a treacherous climb up a towering mountain. Don’t Nod hasn’t slowed down in 2024 either, as February saw the release of one of the studio’s more triple-A-style efforts, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden. This action-adventure title focused on a set of dual protagonist ghost hunters in late-1600s New England.
As part of its latest financial report, Don’t Nod Entertainment expressed that Jusant and the very well-received Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden didn’t live up to their respective sales expectations. Due to this, the studio has revealed that it’s putting two of its unannounced projects temporarily on hold. The studio specifies that these titles are currently in the design phase, and its strategy will be to shift its resources to the projects that have the most potential to be successful with the widest possible audience.
Neither Jusant Nor Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden Met Don’t Nod’s Sales Expectations
Fans of the studio who have been eagerly awaiting Lost Records: Bloom and Rage don’t need to worry, as the game is still on track for its release early next year. Don’t Nod mentioned that it was pleased with Lost Records‘ reception at this year’s Gamescom, and the game’s similarities to Life is Strange could give it the leg up that Jusant and Banishers didn’t have. As for the two projects being put on pause within Don’t Nod, they’re entirely unknown. 2018’s Vampyr and 2020’s Tell Me Why are two of Don’t Nod’s more popular games, but it’s unclear whether sequels are potentially in the works. Nothing is publicly known about Don’t Nod’s future slate of games beyond Lost Records: Bloom and Rage.
Fans wonder whether the underwhelming performance of Jusant and Banishers will cause Don’t Nod to pull back on exploring different genres as it’s done over the past several years. Lost Records: Bloom and Rage is set to release as two episodes, with the first coming in February 2025 and the second in March. Life is Strange fans are looking forward to the return of the original game’s protagonist, Max Caulfield, in Life is Strange: Double Exposure from Deck Nine, which is scheduled for release on October 29, 2024.
DON’T NOD
- Date Founded
- May 1, 2008
- Headquarters
- Paris, France