Modern gaming has put early access launchpads on a pedestal, and many titles, such as Manor Lords, use this very form. The perfect example of early access success is Palworld, where the monster-collecting and base-building mechanics combined to achieve massive sales figures.
On another note, Baldur’s Gate 3 perfectly leveraged the effect of three years of early access as it allowed Larian Studios to refine the game based on player feedback, which resulted in a GoTY Award.
However, maintaining a high early-access player count is challenging. Manor Lords, another early access title, launched to strong reviews but has seen a player drop since its release on April 26.
Manor Lords Launched as the Most Wishlisted Title on Steam
A recent LinkedIn post spoke rather ill of Manor Lords early access saying there is very little to it.
However, what initially drew players in was the sheer ambition of the project. In development since 2021, the video game is Greg Styczeń’s brainchild with some freelance help, unlike Baldur’s Gate 3 and the entire Larian studio.
As such, Manor Lords pushed above all expectations when it came to early success. On its journey to early access release, the title became the most-wishlisted game on Steam with over three million at some point, overtaking Hades II and similar popular games.
It is a niche RTS medieval city-builder title, but it became a hit with millions of copies sold on its first day after launch. It seemed like everyone wanted a piece of the medieval pie.
However, early success waned pretty quickly as the peak of concurrent player count which amounted to over 173,000 is now as low as 6,600 souls enjoying the dark medieval times.
What Went Wrong for Manor Lords and Not with Palworld or Baldur’s Gate 3?
It is important to say that the upcoming indie game is not a failure in the slightest. Instead, it is a masterpiece in the making. The initial success and 2 million copies sold in the first three weeks; the title is still making the rounds with 250,000 copies in the last month.
However, early access revealed many bugs and a lack of content, which had put some players off.
Despite three different mods available in the early access, when compared to customization options of the CRPG title even in early access and how long the campaign was in early access, the replayability is well beaten.
Adding to that is the immense success of the Pocketpair’s monster-taming game which thrives on procedurally generated elements. When compared to other titles, the RTS city-builder title has nothing to offer with its limited gameplay loop and fixed maps.
Nevertheless, following the pattern set previously, Manor Lords is likely a long way from full release. The development team, no matter how small is fixing bugs and adding new content with the help of community reports, and just like Larian should use the early access for their own benefit.
This medieval RTS city-builder with tactical warfare elements has charmed players with simple details that perfectly capture the era. Despite some criticism, the small team behind the title deserves all the love it can get.
As Slavic Magic continues development with the help of the community, Manor Lords can become a crown jewel in the genre.
What are your thoughts on the game? Will the new content bring the players back to the game or was this a one-time chance at success? Let us know in the comments below.
