Don't Nod Reshifts Development Plans Following Jusant, Banishers Underwhelming Performance

French developer and publisher Don't Nod are looking ahead as they reshift their development plans to cater to a wider audience moving forward. This news comes as they released their H1 2024 financial report during an Investors call which they singled out a few reasons on their underwhelming performance, that contributed to "a deterioration in [their] 2024 half-year results."

As the studio look toward their forthcoming release in Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, arriving to consoles and PC in February 2025, they've stated that the performance and contributions made by their previously released games in Jusant and Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden were "well below expectations." However, there was an increased interest and subsequent boost in sales for their existing IPs in Life is Strange and Vampyr, which contributed largely to their turnover in the first half of 2024.

According to a statement from Don't Nod's CEO, Oskar Guilbert, "We are obviously disappointed by our recent performance in an extremely competitive and selective market. Despite excellent critical reception, Jusant and Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden have unfortunately not achieved the expected commercial results, which leads to a deterioration in our 2024 half-year results and leads us to study all possible options regarding our roadmap."

As to how the studio will be redirecting their focus to counter their underwhelming performance in H1 2024, they detailed that they'll turn to their current IPs and invest their time and resources for a higher investment return. This includes their next gaming release, Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, slated for a February 2025 launch, and two unannounced titles currently in development, which Don't Nod revealed will arrive sometime in 2027.

Unfortunately, the studio has taken an executive decision to "temporarily" hold off development on two other unannounced projects currently in the "design phase." The decision to delay these projects resulted in allowing the studio to have the necessary "resources to be prioritized and the chances of success of the currently most promising titles to be maximized."