Embracer CEO Admits 'Challenging Year' Despite 'Encouraging' Sales For Dead Island 2

Embracer Group is the top-level owner of Dead Island 2 and its development studio Dambuster, who both fall under the Deep Silver publishing label. It's all a bit complicated with this company, but the bottom line is that Embracer seems happy with how the long-awaited zombie slaying sequel performed, as outlined in a new earnings report.

The team reiterated that Dead Island 2 sold a million units in its opening weekend; a feat that "exceeded management expectations". The game has gone on to sell more than two million copies so far, in a saga where delaying the game for years worked out in the team's favour in the end.

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"Measured over the first seven days of the sale period, it has become Deep Silver and PLAION’s biggest launch in history in both units and revenue. I am happy to state that the game has now reached a sell-out of well over 2 million units. It is rewarding to see that the decision to give the studio time to polish the game has paid off."

While all seems rosy for Dead Island 2 after a period of what many would describe as 'development hell', Embracer in general has had to lower its overall revenue expectations. The company announced in its report that it missed out on another studio partnership recently, and has adjusted its projections accordingly.

Here's what Embracer's CEO had to say on the matter.

"It has been a challenging year, adversely impacted by game delays, weaker consumer demand and lackluster reception for certain notable releases. Late last night, we were informed that one major strategic partnership that has been negotiated for seven months will not materialize.

We now expect to generate SEK 7 to 9 billion in Adjusted EBIT with improving cash conversion for FY 2023/24 and a healthy growth outlook in the following years."

Unfortunately, we don't have any info on what dev team Embracer tried to strike a deal with, but clearly, the company is still trying to expand following some big purchases over the last few years. Notably, the company acquired a lot of Square Enix's Western studios & IP in 2022 as the Japanese publisher put more focus on its teams that reside in Japan.

Do you think Embracer did a good job with Dead Island 2 in the end? Let us know your thoughts down below.

[source embracer.com]