Amid studio closures and mass layoffs, one indie developer's pirate RPG just sold enough copies to fund a sequel: "it feels right when talented individuals can finally do what they love"

GamesRPGAmid studio closures and mass layoffs, one indie developer’s pirate RPG just sold enough copies to fund a sequel: “it feels right when talented individuals can finally do what they love"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. GamesRPGAmid studio closures and mass layoffs, one indie developer’s pirate RPG just sold enough copies to fund a sequel: “it feels right when talented individuals can finally do what they love"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. (Image credit: BlackMark Studio) Pirate RPG Caribbean Legend just sold enough copies to help its developer in “truly becoming a studio, a company.” Developer BlackMark Studio celebrated a rare win in a recentblog post, announcing that its high-seas roleplaying game has sold over 15,000 copies. The developer writes that it had planned for all possibilities. If Caribbean Legend had sold somewhere under 10,000 copies, the developer would eventually “bid farewell.” Thankfully, the game passed the developer’s “realistically optimistic” expectations, meaning the team can “establish a sustainable enterprise for the long term,” develop a 2.0 version, release “several exciting DLCs,” and even begin work on an Unreal Engine-powered sequel. In one day, Caribbean Legend apparently surpassed the developer’s last game’s first-month sales. And within a single month, the game earned more revenue than the previous game made in 12 whole years. “We’ve won. You’ve won,” the developer writes. “For the first in BlackMark Studio’s history, we’re turning a profit and truly becoming a studio, a company. The core team now receives stable royalties, and we’ve bought on board several more exceptionally talented people for full-time and part-time roles.” The note continues to say it “just feels right when talented individuals can finally do what they love without distraction.” That rare good news comes amid a turbulent time in the video game industry, with mass layoffs and studio closures becoming common occurrences.Sony recently laid off 900 employeesfrom its top studios.Microsoft let go of almost 2,000 staff.Unity shed a quarter of its workforce. AndEA is sunsetting several gamesalongside mass layoffs. But at least indie teams can still find unexpected success. Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more Check out ourupcoming indies of 2024 and beyond guideto keep your eye on all the other unexpected gems dropping this year. 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the show” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2 Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3 Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4 The Lord of the Rings: 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for the misses” 3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 3 Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 4 Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” 5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” 5 Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”