Paradox Abandons A Whole Genre After Its Xbox-Exclusive Game Flops

Expert Verified By

No Point In Releasing Similar Games Anymore!

Story Highlight
  • Paradox abandoned the turn-based tactics genre after its Xbox-exclusive entry flopped last year.
  • The Lamplighters League did not meet expectations, and even the pre-order sales were pretty low.
  • The developers said the title was commercially dead on arrival and was not the game people wanted.

Paradox Interactive is mostly known for its grand strategy games, with some pretty prominent franchises in the industry. Nevertheless, the company has also occasionally dipped its toes into other genres. Its last attempt with the Xbox-exclusive The Lamplighters League, however, completely flopped last year. 

Its niche turn-based tactics genre might be to blame, but Paradox has recently claimed that it is dropping the whole genre after the massive flop. The Lamplighters League did not sell well on Xbox consoles or PC, which has made Paradox see no point in releasing another similar title.

Why it matters: Paradox ditching the turn-based tactics genre confirms that The Lamplighters League flopped hard on Xbox last year. The XCOM-styled title failed to meet expectations, so much so that the developers are completely giving up on the genre.

The Lamplighters League is an XCOM-styled tactical game that flopped hard on Xbox after release.
The Lamplighters League is an XCOM-styled tactical game that flopped hard on Xbox after release.

In an interview with Rock Paper Shotgun, Paradox Interactive CEO Mattias Lilja elaborated that there is no reason to compete with a giant like XCOM, a successful turn-based tactics franchise. The truth is that XCOM is quite a rarity and dominates its niche genre, making competition extremely hard.

When we released The Lamplighters League, it quickly became very obvious to us that this was not the game that people wanted, and we were not going to be able to save it.

As a result, the developers declared The Lamplighters League to be “commercially dead on arrival” because the game’s pre-order sales on Xbox were disappointing for the studio overall.

While The Lamplighters League might have flopped because of low sales, many argue that its Xbox exclusivity was the main culprit behind the failure. But what do you think caused the title to lose so badly? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, or join us for a discussion in our official Tech4Gamers forum.

Was our article helpful? 👨‍💻

Thank you! Please share your positive feedback. 🔋

How could we improve this post? Please Help us. 😔

Gear Up For Latest News

Get exclusive gaming & tech news before it drops. Sign up today!

Join Our Community

Still having issues? Join the Tech4Gamers Forum for expert help and community support!

Latest News

Join Our Community

104,000FansLike
32,122FollowersFollow

Trending

Ex-Bungie Devs Working On Upcoming ‘Ambitious Incubation Project’ Under New PlayStation Studio teamLFG

PlayStation has announced a new studio, teamLFG, made up of former Bungie developers. They are allegedly developing the project Gummy Bears.

MagMouse: The World’s First Magnetically Attachable Wireless Mouse with Built-In Fast-Charging Cable

MagMouse is the world’s first magnetically attachable wireless mouse with built-in fast charging, and up to 80-day battery life.

G.SKILL To Unveil Cutting-Edge Memory and Overclocking Events at Computex 2025

Discover G.SKILL’s latest DDR5 memory, live overclocking competitions, and elite custom PC builds at Computex 2025.

EA Rejects Raising Game Prices Despite Xbox And Nintendo Moving Forward With $80 Price Tags

EA CEO Andrew Wilson and CFO Stuart Canfield have clarified in a new earnings call that the company won't be raising its game pricing yet.

Project 007 To Appear At The Summer Game Fest, Claims Insider

According to a reliable insider, 007 may make an appearance at the upcoming Summer Game Fest scheduled for June 6.