We are focused on leveraging our expertise to drive operational excellence, attract strategic investments, and unlock sustainable growth– David Butorac, Independent Director, Mighty Kingdom

Hey there!

🎉 But we have so much more:

Valve made a billion from CS:GO case openings.

Lethal Company had a net revenue of over $33.6 million in just 3 months, and Infinite Wealth locks NG+ behind a paywall, which has made fans fairly unhappy.

Now let’s hit the start button:

Welcome to The Power-Up #61

Game-Up

🧑‍🌾 Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will offer a blend of linear, cinematic gameplay and spacious, open-area maps for exploration. The game will feature diverse environments from the Vatican City to the Himalayas and include iconic elements like snakes and intricate puzzles.

😇 Halo Infinite will no longer release new seasons, as 343 Industries shifts to a more frequent content update model called 'Operations' starting January 30.

🚀 Some of the games launching this week:

• January 23: Graven (PC), Howl (PS5, Xbox S/X), Neptunia: Sisters vs Sisters (Switch)

• January 25: Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy (PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch)

• January 26: Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth (PS4/5, Xbox One/S/X, PC), Tekken 8 (PS5, PC, Xbox S/X)

Round-Up

🔫 Palworld has surpassed 1 million concurrent players on Steam, making it the sixth game ever to achieve this milestone. The monster-collecting survival game has sold over 4 million copies in 3 days. 

🤑 Lethal Company has reportedly sold an impressive 10 million copies since its Early Access launch in October 2023, generating an estimated gross revenue of $113.9 million and a net revenue of $33.6 million. 

📜 Elder Scrolls Online has surpassed 24 million players since its 2014 launch. The game has an upcoming expansion set in Tamriel's Gold Coast region.

2️⃣ Developers are actively working on games for the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2, with 8% of respondents in the 2024 GDC State of the Game Industry survey confirming their involvement. 

⚔️ The British Army's Operation: Belong in Fortnite, seen as a recruitment effort targeting young players, has sparked controversy. While aiming for 18+ users, the initiative blurs lines between gaming and military enlistment.

🐲 Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth controversially locks its New Game + feature behind a DLC paywall, leading to fan disappointment over SEGA's perceived profit-driven approach.

Biz-Up

👎 Mighty Kingdom's shareholders voted against former CEO Shane Yeend's attempt to replace the current board, with less than 10% support for his resolutions. 

🗝️ In 2023, Valve reportedly made nearly $1 billion from CS:GO case openings, with players spending $980 million on case keys as part of the highly lucrative Counter-Strike skins market.

🤑 The Golf Clash developer, Playdemic, have just raised $10 million for a new UK studio named ForthStar.

Industry Level-Up (or Down)

😔 2K's 31st Union studio has laid off a small number of employees as part of its ongoing efforts to support its operations and games. The studio continues to recruit for key roles, despite the layoffs.

😔 YouTube fired YouTube Gaming chief Leo Olebe in the last round of layoffs. I wonder what will happen with Playables, among other things.

💰 French publisher TapNation acquires Turkish user acquisition firm UAhero to enhance its marketing capabilities and strategy in casual games. This move is following TapNation's recent €15 million funding and 1 billion downloads milestone. 

The Power-Up Chronicles

That’s it for today. Thanks for reading. Stay powered-up until next time.

Bobby & Andrei