Paradox Interactive, the publisher of The Lamplighters League, has already downgraded the game as a financial loss. A statement by the company’s CEO Fredrik Wester published on the company’s website revealed that Paradox Interactive would be writing down the game at 248 million Swedish Krona (approx. $22 million).
“The Lamplighters League is a fun game with many strengths,” said Wester. “Even though we see cautiously positive player numbers in subscription services, the commercial reception has been too weak, which is frankly a big disappointment.”
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Wester did not hold back in expressing his feelings about the commercial performance of the game and used terms that seemed too harsh. Although he acknowledged that game projects are always risky, he felt they should have done better—an indirect jab at the developer of the game, Harebrained Schemes. This has made people worried about the future of Harebrained Schemes.
“It is painful but makes us more eager to roll up our sleeves and do better,” Wester concluded.
The Lamplighters League was not really a terrible game. It had memorable protagonists and enemies and the cutscenes were well done. However, the game might have been a victim of a stacked release window.
October is packed with AAA games that would easily drown any game that is not in that category. The Lamplighters League was released on October 3, at a time when many gamers already had their eyes set on Assassin’s Creed: Mirage (October 5).
There are other big titles scheduled for October release including Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Lords of the Fallen, and Super Mario Bros. Wonder. Most gamers will have their eyes on the big titles leaving games like The Lamplighters League in the background.
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The rest of the year is also packed to the point that some studios like Don’t Nod have decided to delay Banishers: Ghost of New Eden from November to February 2024 when the calendar is ‘lighter’.
What kind of game is Paradox Interactive’s The Lamplighters League?
The Lamplighters League has a blend of turn-based tactics and action-adventure. It was set in the alternate version of the 1930s. Players must gather a team of misfits to fight an ancient cult known as Banished Court that is bent on dominating the world.
“Recruit a team of misfits with unique abilities and unforgettable personalities, and chase the Banished Court to the ends of the earth in a mix of real-time infiltration, turn-based tactical combat, and a character-driven story of adventure and intrigue,” read the official game blob on Steam.
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The Lamplighters League will be an easy pick for anyone who is attracted to pulp adventure. The game challenges players through multiple gameplay mechanics including sneaking and turn-based actions. Basically, players need to stay in the dark and away from the searchlight most time.
However, an IGN review pointed out some of the problems with the game including how the number of enemies on every mission is often excessive and makes stealth almost impossible on the first try. Players often have to reload the game and retry several times to be successful. The situation is made worse by the lack of quick saves or quick loads.
Harebrained Schemes reportedly laid off employees before The Lamplighters League release
It is just coming to light that Harebrained Schemes reportedly cut jobs before the release of The Lamplighters League. The revelation came as a comment on the CEO’s statement about the game posted on ResetEra.
The user with the username AngryMobofSteve, who claimed to be one of the employees whose role was made redundant, said “80% or so of the Studio was let go in July”. It is not surprising that the job cuts happened long ago but only coming to light now.
In recent months, studios often make the employees sign off their voice in their severance package—although this has not stopped some from voicing out eventually. Adding credibility to the comment was the fact that some of the employees who worked in the studio now have “open to work” on their LinkedIn profiles.
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Game Developers was able to verify that some of the posts from supposedly ex-employees of the studio asking for assistance for new roles started popping up in July and August. Some are as recent as September which may suggest tiered layoffs. A representative of Paradox Interactive eventually confirmed the layoff to PCGamer. However, the exact number of roles terminated was not revealed.
With some players now complaining about bugs in The Lamplighters League, it is unclear if there are enough hands left to fix those issues. Apparently, the fate of the game hangs in the balance, just like the studio.
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