Take-Two says “imperfect release window” may have affected ‘Marvel’s Midnight Suns’ sales

The CEO of Take-Two has reportedly cited the “imperfect release window” of Marvel’s Midnight Suns to explain the game’s poor sales.

The tactical role-playing Marvel game – originally slated for an early 2022 launch – faced a number of delays which meant it was released on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S on December 2 instead.

Within a month of release the game was discounted by 33 per cent on all platforms (per videogameschronicle), suggesting the game’s sales were poor.

Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has now spoken about the game’s commercial performance, explaining that it’s “possible the release window wasn’t perfect”, according to an interview with Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier.

He also reportedly added that he thinks the game could have longevity like other Firaxis games.

In a four-star review of Marvel’s Midnight Suns, NME said: Marvel’s Midnight Suns is one of the biggest surprises of the year. Not because it’s Marvel’s XCOM – it isn’t that. Instead, it’s because it’s Marvel crossed with Fire Emblem and despite some uneven parts, it mostly manages to pull that off, dropping the player in as an original character, before tossing you into a tale that’s part world-saving adventure, part soap opera, and part young adult novel.”

Elsewhere, last year it was revealed that Firaxis, 2K and Marvel all worked together to let a dying fan play Marvel’s Midnight Suns before he passed away.

Staff reportedly worked “day and night to make the game ready for the fan, who had an incurable form of cancer, and ultimately were able to develop a playable build of the game in just 24 hours.

Two post-credit scenes in Marvel’s Midnight Suns also hinted at future expansions.

Last month, a new trailer then announced the release date for Marvel’s Midnight Suns’ first downloadable content (DLC).