Critics and players seem to agree that Marvel's Midnight Suns is an excellent and unique game, which makes it strange that the title didn't sell very well. Even putting aside all the stellar reviews, Midnight Suns has a lot working in its favor that should have made it a commercial success. It has an inventive combat system that mixes tactical turn-based combat with deck-building. The game's developer, Firaxis Games, is known for making incredible tactics titles like the XCOM series. Also, it has the incredibly popular Marvel brand right in the title. With so much going in its favor, why didn't more players decide to buy it?Unfortunately for Midnight Suns, there are a variety of factors that go into a game's success beyond just being good. For one thing, there's timing. When exactly a game gets released can have a major effect on its sales numbers. Another important part of selling a game is marketing -- making sure players understand exactly what it is they're buying. There's also the brand's reputation to consider. While Marvel is basically synonymous with success in terms of film box office, their games don't have quite the same reputation.
Marvel's Midnight Suns Was a Victim of Bad Timing
One factor preventing Marvel's Midnight Suns from reaching its full commercial potential may have been the timing of its release. Developer Take-Two's CEO, Strauss Zelnick recently told Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier that he believes the game's release window could have impacted the game's sales negatively. Midnight Suns wasn't the only game to release on December 2, 2022, that struggled financially. The Callisto Protocol also released on the same day and had similar trouble moving copies.
It is possible that Marvel's Midnight Suns came out a little too close to the holiday season to see a significant number of sales. With holiday shopping shifting to earlier parts of the year, and of course, Black Friday and Cyber Monday being large draws for shoppers, it may be that consumers had recently spent too much money to also pick up a new $60 game on release. It is also possible that players were holding out for other hotly anticipated releases like Hogwarts Legacy since The Midnight Suns aren't as high-profile of a Marvel IP as other teams or heroes.
Marvel's Midnight Suns Needed Stronger Marketing
Midnight Suns may be based on Marvel heroes, but the team doesn't have the same immediate name recognition as heroes like Spider-Man or The Avengers. While plenty of popular heroes from Marvel Comics and the MCU appear in the game, the title "Marvel's Midnight Suns" does not command the attention of prospective buyers the way something like "Marvel's Spider-Man" does. It is also possible that players were a little wary of buying a Marvel game after the poor reputation garnered by Marvel's Avengers. They may have thought it was going to be another lackluster live service game and just decided to skip it. As early trailers didn't feature too much gameplay footage, fans would have needed to look deeper into the game on their own to realize it wasn't another generic third-person beat 'em up game.
Though Marvel's Midnight Suns didn't have an explosive launch, it is still possible the game could find its audience. The overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics and players may inspire gamers who gave it a pass to reconsider. Additionally, each new DLC, such as the recently released The Good, the Bad, and the Undead, comes with more promotional material, which may be able to hook players that weren't initially interested. With fan favorites like Venom on the way, Marvel's Midnight Suns may find success later in life despite its disappointing release.