Frontier Developments revealed disappointing launch sales for its new real-time strategy game, 'Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin,' resulting in nearly a 20% drop in shares. Although the game, set in the Warhammer Age of Sigmar universe, peaked with 1,572 concurrent players on Steam, it has since dropped to just 129 active players leading to a 'mixed' user review rating.

Following a difficult year marked by lower-than-expected sales for several games, including 'F1 Manager 2022', Frontier Developments announced a refocusing strategy on creative management simulation (CMS) games. The company cited past success in this genre, with titles like 'Planet Coaster,' 'Planet Zoo,' and the 'Jurassic World Evolution' series each surpassing $100 million in gross revenue. Frontier confirmed the development of three new CMS games to be released over the next three years.

This change in direction comes after the closure of Frontier Foundry and a company-wide review, which included layoffs. Frontier adjusted its financial forecast, lowering revenue expectations from around £108 million to between £80 and £95 million for the current financial year, anticipating a potential loss of £9 million. But, despite these challenges, Frontier remains confident in its CMS focus and anticipates returning to profitability next financial year, driven by reduced operating costs and planned game releases.

The shake-up also led to a change in leadership, with David Wilton stepping down and Ilse Howling stepping up. CEO Jonny Watts expressed optimism that this renewed focus on CMS will bring both profitability to Frontier and engaging gaming experiences to players.