The world of video games is changing, and a new trend could well mark the end of multi-million dollar blockbusters. The recent example of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 illustrates this evolution: despite a budget well below current standards for AAA games, it managed to seduce players, garner several nominations for the Game Awards 2024, as well as one for the Pegasus, and exceed five million copies sold.
According to Matt Karch, CEO of Saber Interactive, the video game industry must review its financial priorities. In an interview with Game File, he claims that “the era of $200, $300, even $400 million games is coming to an end”. Indeed, while the cost of developing AAA games has exploded from one generation of consoles to the next, their sales are not increasing proportionally.
Marvel’s Spider-Man on PlayStation 4 cost around $100 million, while its sequel Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 on PS5 exceeded $300 million, without generating a tripling of sales. Faced with these colossal expenses, some publishers are increasingly relying on aggressive microtransactions to make their games profitable.
The rise of independent games and the AA category
In this context, independent games and AA titles are experiencing a resurgence of interest. So-called “AA” games, located between independent productions and AAA blockbusters, are characterized by a more modest budget but high production quality. This is precisely the category that Space Marine 2 falls into, which Karch calls a “double-A plus”. Some studios, like Focus Entertainment or Larian Studios, have proven that it is possible to offer games with the appearance and mechanics worthy of a AAA, without adopting the pharaonic budgets.
Is this however the sign of a deeper change as the CEO suggests? Some specialists believe that the market for mid-range games has been swallowed up by behemoths like Fortnite and Call of Duty, which are capturing an ever-increasing share of players' time and budgets. On the other hand, games like Baldur's Gate 3 and Remnant 2 show that this segment can still thrive.
A necessary shift?
Meanwhile, blockbusters continue to reach new heights. Grand Theft Auto 6, expected in 2025, is already estimated to have cost well over $400 million to produce. But with studios like Insomniac Games facing layoffs despite the success of their titles, the question arises: are these mega-budgets still viable?
The future will tell us whether AA+ games like Space Marine 2 mark the beginning of a new era or if they are just a temporary exception. But one thing is certain: players are increasingly attracted to quality experiences that do not necessarily require excessive investments.
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