Unknown 9 Franchise Plans Cancelled

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Summary

  • Unknown 9: Awakening failed to meet sales expectations, ending plans for a franchise.
  • Redundancies are expected at Reflector Entertainment due to the disappointing performance.
  • Bandai Namco Europe will focus on creating Western content for global audiences moving forward.

Have you given Reflector Entertainment’s action-adventure game Unknown 9: Awakening a spin since it came out last October? If not, I understand why – it appears that not many folks have delved into the game, as it was published by Bandai Namco.

Initially, it was intended for this project to be part of a franchise; however, due to the fact that sales fell short of projections, the studio has announced that they will no longer be moving forward with a franchise expansion.

Unknown 9’s Planned Franchise Stops At One Game

As a dedicated fan, I found myself reflecting on the disappointing revelation shared by Reflector Entertainment’s head honcho, Herve Hoerdt (via Eurogamer). In his announcement, he revealed that our beloved game didn’t quite reach its sales targets, which unfortunately means that the captivating universe it presented might not be further explored in future projects.

A portion of the statement said, “This decision is linked to the poor performance of our initial studio project, an innovative and daring new intellectual property set in a vast, multimedia world. Despite multiple delays and substantial investments – financial and otherwise – the launch didn’t meet our expectations, leading us to conclude that it’s not worth pursuing further development in this universe.

Unfortunately, this means that layoffs (or redundancies) will occur within the studio, and while Hoerdt didn’t provide specific numbers, it seems that many jobs may be impacted. The cancellation of the franchise also affects the back-office staff, as the studio is planning to focus on a “single project approach” moving forward.

As he wraps up, Hoerdt shares that Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe is committed to pouring resources into crafting “content tailored for Western markets, aligning with our company’s broader vision for a global audience.

It wasn’t really unexpected given that Unknown 9 had a peculiar title and minimal buzz prior to its launch, plus it wasn’t visually striking. Whether the lack of success is due to poor marketing, development issues, or Bandai Namco releasing it during a congested quarter, it’s hard to tell. However, it’s clear that the game’s subpar quality didn’t do it any favors.

On Open Critic, the game received a “Weak” rating, with only 17% of reviewers advocating for it. To put it another way, the initial installment of this intended series didn’t fare too well in critics’ reviews.

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2025-01-22 02:38