9 Great RPGs That Sold Poorly

Updated on June 27, 2026, by Mark Sammut: We’ve updated this article with two more infamous RPG commercial flops that deserved way better.

The RPG genre has a wide range of success stories spanning many decades and settings, from indie developers making their first step to seasoned veterans releasing smash hit after smash hit and setting the standard for what a good RPG should be. But there are times when a great game just didn’t get the respect or acclaim it deserved. These titles were a success in execution but performed rather poorly in sales.

When it comes to RPGs, it is difficult to break into the genre with a successful game. It is so competitive, and the expectations are so high, that any old game cannot become a number-one bestseller overnight without the gameplay to back it up. That being said, a good game doesn’t guarantee sales, and sometimes the quality of an RPG can’t translate to real-world financial success. Other times, publishers set goals that seem almost designed to produce disappointment.

9

Marvel’s Midnight Suns

A SUPER Tactical RPG With Weak Sales

A Firaxis superhero tactical RPG with everyone’s favorite Marvel heroes should have been a recipe for guaranteed success, but Marvel’s Midnight Suns struggled to live up to the license’s potential. Part of that might have to do with the genre, as an XCOM-style project simply doesn’t have the same mass appeal as an open-world Spider-Man romp, and a high-budget production might not have been the right approach.

Don’t get me wrong, Firaxis put together a fantastic card-based tactical RPG that adapted the XCOM formula to the Marvel license incredibly well, creating a combat system that justifies the price of admission on its own. Anybody who plays the game will likely have good things to say about it, even if the story and social elements are way more polarizing than the gameplay; unfortunately, not enough people have played Marvel’s Midnight Suns.

The lackluster commercial performance could come down to the marketing, which didn’t do a fantastic job of explaining what the gameplay is actually like. The presentation of the card decks gave off a mobile vibe that likely put off some people, particularly those unfamiliar with hardcore tactical RPGs. A December 2 debut was also not the best move, as Marvel’s Midnight Suns missed the 2022 holiday season rush by launching after Black Friday.

8

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

A Fantastic RPG That Needed To Achieve Impossible Numbers

The above figure probably makes you think, “How is that possibly a flop?” In a vacuum, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning performed really well for a brand-new IP by a relatively unknown developer, and it would have likely been considered a moderate success if it had a standard production process. However, the RPG was partially financed by a $75 million loan from the State of Rhode Island’s development board, meaning it needed to sell at least 3 million copies to break even.

That type of return was always going to be a long shot for a project that wasn’t linked to any well-known franchise, and Kingdoms of Amalur‘s relative failure led to the closure of 38 Studios and Big Huge Games. 38 Studios simply couldn’t make the loan payments, and it shut down its doors within 6 months of the RPG’s release.

The license fell into THQ Nordic’s lap eventually, so KoA did at least receive a remake that made it more readily available.

7

Valkyria Chronicles

A Military RPG That Lacked Early Success

• Sales: ~2 million copies (2016)

Valkyria Chronicles delivered a standout tactical RPG experience with its innovative BLiTZ system, which combined turn-based planning with real-time combat, all in a distinct watercolor art style. The game is set in a fictional version of World War II Europe, following Squad 7’s emotional fight against the invasion, blending heartfelt storytelling with deep strategic gameplay. The gameplay and unique look garnered most of the praise, and it still holds up in both respects.

However, the game struggled to sell well at launch. Releasing exclusively for the PlayStation 3, it arrived when the console had a limited player base, especially in Japan. It sold just 33,000 units in its first week in North America and around 77,000 in its first month. Weak marketing and its genre’s niche appeal contributed to the low sales. That said, Valkyria Chronicles picked up some momentum after that point, enough so to warrant the franchise’s continuation.

The years since have seen a remaster and a more widespread consumer base, but that initial release failed to make much of a splash.

6

Lost Odyssey

A Story Of Immortals That Failed To Stick Around

• Sales: ~300,000 first month (2008)

Lost Odyssey is a turn-based JRPG developed by Mistwalker and helmed by Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi. Quality was a near guarantee, but as always, commercial success didn’t follow. The plot follows Kaim, an immortal warrior grappling with centuries of memories, in a rich narrative supported by traditional combat mechanics and emotional short stories. The game was praised for delivering a deep, character-driven experience at a time when the genre was rapidly evolving in many new directions.

Despite a strong critical reception, the game struggled commercially, especially outside of Japan. Released exclusively on the Xbox 360, a platform with limited traction in Japan, the initial sales were nothing to write home about. The numbers were underwhelming given its budget and pedigree. Its platform choice and old-school mechanics made it a harder sell in a market shifting toward faster, flashier action RPGs.

5

Neo: The World Ends with You

Too Niche For A Breakout Hit

• Sales: ~28,000 first week (2021)

A stylish ARPG that serves as the long-awaited sequel to a cult hit, Neo: The World Ends With You follows Rindo and his friends as they are forced to compete in the dead Reapers’ Game. Fast-paced combat and a vibrant setting allow the game to capture modern youth culture perfectly, while maintaining the DNA of the original. Dedicated fans adored the game and praised all aspects from the story to the music, but the rest of the world seemed to turn a blind eye to it.

The sales were not the best. Square Enix admitted that it underperformed commercially and struggled to recoup its production costs. The niche appeal, long wait times between titles, and some poor marketing contributed to weak sales, leaving the franchise with an uncertain future despite the praise.

The World Ends With You also fits as another creative JRPG that didn’t quite sell as much as expected.

4

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided

An Example Of Relative Success, And One Of Many Western IPs That Apparently Did Not Meet Square Enix’s Expectations

• Sales: ~12 Million Lifetime Sales With Human Revolution (2022)

Commercial performance is arguably relative, as a game that sells 5 million can be marked as a disappointment if its publisher set a goal of 10 million. There was a time when seemingly every major Western-style game published by Square Enix was deemed a commercial flop, despite seemingly making decent numbers. Tomb Raider, Sleeping Dogs, and Hitman: Absolution are probably the most infamous examples, but Deus Ex: Mankind Divided was also part of this run.

Now, it should be noted that Square Enix cited Mankind Divided as one of the games that helped increase earnings in 2017, so the company did not publicly label it a flop. Along with some short-term success, Mankind Divided and Human Revolution eventually fell short of the 10 million lifetime sales milestone, a mark they had taken close to a decade to reach. Analysts suggest that, overall, the company believed its Western studios and projects fell short of expectations, especially given their often massive budgets.

Considering Square Enix never seemed to even consider producing another entry in the series, and sold off Eidos-Montreal in 2022 for not all that much money, it seems apparent that Mankind Divided did not move the needle.

3

Vagrant Story

Too Much Complexity For Its Own Good

• Sales: 100,000 first month (2000)

Vagrant Story is a unique action RPG released for the original PlayStation and is considered one of the best games of its era. Set in the ruined city of Leá Monde, it follows Ashley Riot, a Riskbreaker caught in a complex tale of political intrigue and supernatural forces. The game stood out for its dark, mature narrative, intricately woven into the real-time combat to deliver a responsive and rewarding experience from start to finish.

Despite the praise and respect it earned, Vagrant Story struggled commercially. While it sold modestly in Japan, its performance in the West was underwhelming. Its complexity, lack of traditional RPG elements like towns or party members, and niche appeal made it a tough sell for mainstream audiences. Though beloved by RPG enthusiasts today, it failed to find wide success at launch, and its sales never justified a sequel despite a legacy and following that still exists today.

2

Planescape: Torment

A Great Narrative Experience, But Unconventional And Tricky Gameplay

An early title with a lot to offer, Planescape is a narrative-rich RPG set within the world of Dungeons & Dragons that has players searching for the truth behind immortality and life itself. It goes deep into philosophical debates and conversations about heavier themes, helped by the excellent writing and character complexity that make the world come alive. However, narrative over action wasn’t the best-selling point at the time, and the game suffered poor sales as a result.

A release that was well below expectations, plus the focus on text conversations in a rather unconventional setting, made the game hard to market and limited its appeal to a niche audience. Planescape: Torment​​​​​​’s popularity has grown over the years, and appreciation for the narrative has become more mainstream, but the initial sales were disappointing enough to leave it a one-and-done.

1

Alpha Protocol

High Cost, Low Return Despite A Quality Game

Alpha Protocol aimed to blend spy/thriller storytelling with complex RPG mechanics to bring the genre to a modern-day setting. Playing as a secret agent, gamers navigate global conspiracies through a branching narrative, and choices matter a lot. Everything from relationships to dialogue feels very real and was pretty ahead of the curve. It had a lot of ambition in the way the story unfolded, offering a dynamic playthrough with plenty of replay value and opportunities for self-expression.

Even so, the game was hampered by dated graphics and a clunky combat system that felt sluggish and, at times, simply boring to play with. Technical issues were also a big factor. Despite selling a decent number of units, it was considered a failure in terms of recouping costs relative to the large development budget and did not meet the publisher’s expectations at all. It might have a favorable perspective now, but it is a bit too little, too late.

Unfortunately, a lot of Obsidian games seem to flop, as Pillars of Eternity 2, Tyranny, and Avowed could easily have been included.