Cliff Bleszinski says ego played a role in LawBreakers’ failure: ‘People are loyal to the game, but they’re not necessarily loyal to the person’
Cliff Bleszinski has attributed ego to LawBreakers’ commercial failure in a recent interview with 80.lv. The 2017 competitive shooter, developed by Bleszinski’s studio Boss Key Productions, was widely regarded as a quality game but failed to gain commercial traction, leading to the studio shutting down just one year after its release. Bleszinski has reflected on various factors contributing to the failure, with his latest insights focusing on personal dynamics within the studio.
In particular, Bleszinski revealed that his desire to maintain control of the project and ensure Boss Key was “his show” cost the studio valuable talent and expertise. He noted that this desire prevented him from collaborating with Rod Fergusson, a colleague he had previously worked with successfully on the Gears of War franchise. Bleszinski acknowledged this as an early sign of ego influencing his decision-making during the game’s development.
Beyond the internal leadership dynamics, Bleszinski’s reflection touches on a broader lesson about game development and audience loyalty. He observed that while audiences can be loyal to quality games, that loyalty doesn’t necessarily extend to the creator or studio behind them. This insight suggests that even well-made games require more than just quality gameplay to succeed commercially—factors like effective leadership, smart collaboration, and perhaps a focus on the game itself rather than the creator’s personal brand play crucial roles in a game’s long-term viability.