Starbreeze has released its financial report for the quarter ending June 30th, 2021, revealing the studio's ongoing struggle to achieve profitability despite continued work on Payday 3. Key highlights include: - Net sales of SEK 31.8 million ($2.9 million), representing a 0.8% year-over-year decline - EBITDA of SEK 18.1 million ($1.6 million), a significant improvement from SEK -51.8 million ($4.8 million) in Q2 2021 - A net loss of SEK -11.2 million ($1 million), down from SEK -76.4 million ($7.1 million) in the same period last year A closer examination of Starbreeze's Q2 financials reveals that the Payday franchise drove the majority of sales, accounting for SEK 30 million ($2.8 million) or 96.5% of total net sales during the quarter. PC sales experienced a 9% decline to SEK 24.7 million ($2.3 million), while console sales saw a 19% increase to SEK 5.5 million ($500,000).
The company noted a decline of over 25% in Payday 2 sales at the start of the quarter and anticipates a further decline in Q3, attributing this to intense competition from other game releases in the first half of the year. Although net sales showed a slight improvement, the developer remains in a net loss position, albeit with a reduced deficit compared to the same period last year.
Starbreeze also announced the initiation of development on a new game IP during the quarter, targeting a 2025 release. Payday 3 development is progressing as planned, with an expected launch in 2023 following a €50m publishing agreement with Plaion (formerly Koch Media).