Microtransaction and overall performance seem to be hampering Babylon's Fall as title launches with 650 peak players on Steam

Square Enix's gaming expectations are not being met, and Babylon's Fall's launch on PC has not done anything to cease the pain. Over the years, the publisher has given out several recognized franchisees, with none more famous than the Final Fantasy games.

However, recent times have also been challenging, with the failure of the Avengers games. Guardians of the Galaxy did well reception-wise, but the sales didn't meet Square Enix's expectations.

Given such a backdrop, Babylon's Fall needed to deliver powerfully on its launch to meet expectations. However, the early numbers of the game are abysmal, as SteamDb recorded a peak of 650 only. The game is also available on PlayStation, so more players are there in all possibilities.

However, the numbers on Steam alone are pretty disappointing and will worry the publisher and developer, Platinum Games.

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Babylon's Fall makes PC debut with meager numbers

Huge numbers are not always the parameter of success for a game. However, every game, be it premium or free-to-play, aims to have a grand opening. The rationale is that the player count eventually comes down after a point.

Babylon's Fall costs $59.99 for the standard and $94.99 for the deluxe edition. Hence, it was expected that there wouldn't be a huge opening day number like Halo Infinite or Lost Ark.

Outriders and Marvel's Avengers are two games considered below expectations by Square Enix. Both titles had significantly bigger launches, with 125,000 and 28,000 peak players, but the 650 peak player count is shocking.

While the numbers of Babylon's Fall on PC might seem strange, some probable reasons for them are becoming apparent. Based on the early set of reviews on Steam, performance is one area, and microtransaction is another.

Microtransactions have become a staple of video games in the modern era, and they are sometimes justified depending on the game.

However, gamers take offense when a full-priced AAA title implements predatory microtransaction practices. This seems to be the case with Babylon's Fall, which veterans in the industry have stated.

The reputable veteran journalist Jeff Gerstmann didn't have nice things to say about Babylon's Fall.

"This game has a full-court press of battle passes, premium currencies, and all this other stuff at launch that feels… presumptuous, in terms of the quality of the game and likelihood that people are going to want to engage with that. It feels very f**king crazy to me."

Hence, the game doesn't get the nod from experts, and based on the PC numbers, it's not getting the love from players. It remains to be seen how Square Enix will respond and if it can stem the tide of the fall.