The zombie survival video game Undawn, starring Will Smith, flopped, according to a new report.
Reuters said Undawn, which it described as a “key” game developed internally by Tencent, “failed spectacularly” despite having the backing of Hollywood star Will Smith and a supposed budget of around 1 billion yuan (around of 140 million dollars). Sources told the publication that Undawn had more than 300 developers.
The PC and mobile game Undawn launched in June to much fanfare and revolved around the digital recreation of Will Smith in the game. The Oscar-winning actor plays Trey Jones, who acts as a guide to help players navigate the world four years after a global disaster.
But not even Will Smith could save Undawn from failing to move the needle for Tencent. According to Reuters, citing research firm Appmagic, Undawn generated revenue of just $287,000 last month. IGN has asked Tencent for comment.
The failure of Undawn is one of the many reasons for the strategic shift at Tencent that has also resulted in the possible delay of the Assassin’s Creed Jade mobile game. Tencent is said to focus on casual party games and games like Genshin Impact, while stopping work on mobile versions of Western IPs.
Tencent has reportedly canceled development of a mobile game based on Square Enix’s Nier franchise because it couldn’t come up with a “compelling” monetization model. Tencent is also reportedly developing an Elden Ring mobile game, but don’t hold your breath, this one looks like it’s a while away. Tencent apparently wants the Elden Ring mobile game to function similarly to the Genshin Impact game, with a free-to-play business model supported by in-app purchases. But the design of Elden Ring, which is a premium single-player action RPG, is “at odds” with Tencent’s vision.