Will Smith Fails to Rescue Undawn in ‘EPIC Flop’

The highly anticipated zombie survival game Undawn, which included a digital version of actor Will Smith, was reported to have "flopped spectacularly" despite significant backing and an almost $140 million budget. Developed by Tencent, the game launched in June but only managed to generate roughly $287,000 in revenue last month, falling drastically short of expectations. This setback is part of the reason behind Tencent's strategic pivot towards developing casual party games and titles with a monetization model like Genshin Impact, turning away from mobile adaptations of Western intellectual properties. Challenges in creating lucrative monetization strategies also led to the cancellation of a mobile game based on the Nier series from Square Enix. Moreover, a potential mobile version of the critically acclaimed Elden Ring is experiencing difficulties as its single-player, premium game design conflicts with Tencent's vision for a free-to-play, in-app purchase supported model.

Tencent is adjusting its development strategy by focusing on casual party games and free-to-play models with in-app purchases inspired by successful games like Genshin Impact, after the poor performance of high-investment titles like Undawn and complications with monetizing mobile versions of Western IPs.

Undawn is a game by Tencent's Lightspeed Studios set in a post-apocalyptic world where players are guided by a character played by Will Smith. It was first released on June 15, 2023, for iPhone, Android, and PC. The game promised an immersive experience, but despite its significant investment and the star power of Will Smith, it didn't meet commercial success. Undawn's lack of impact on the market illustrates the challenges faced by large-scale mobile game projects and highlights the industry's uncertainty, even when heavyweight publishers and celebrities are involved.