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Dead Cells has topped 10 million sales worldwide

Motion Twin and Evil Empire believe a consistent stream of updates have delivered that success.

Chris Kerr, News Editor

June 5, 2023

1 Min Read
A screenshot from Dead Cells showing a player in battle

Dead Cells has sold over 10 million copies in six years, according to developers Motion Twin and Evil Empire. The indie roguelike made its early access debut in 2017 before officially launching a year later. 

Motion Twin and Evil Empire said the consecutive launch of the 1.0 version of Dead Cells on PC and consoles combined with long-term support in the form of 34 free updates and an eventual mobile launch delivered "long-tail success in all major global territories."

Dead Cells has also been bolstered with four premium slices of DLC, including a 'Return to Castlevania' expansion that was facilitated through a partnership with Konami.

Evil Empire intends to keep supporting Dead Cells through to 2025 with additional updates that will iterate on its "time-tested" methodology.

"With years of successful updates and expansions behind it after taking over live ops of Dead Cells in 2019, [Evil Empire] is tinkering with its time-tested methodology, experimenting with ideas for future updates and new ways for fans to enjoy one of their favorite roguelikes," wrote the studio.

Evil Empire was founded by a group of former Motion Twin developers who eventually partnered with their former employer to help support Dead Cells

The studio has already released a number of updates for the title including a 'Break the Bank' add-on that introduced an additional biome with new enemies and weapons. It also developed a new mode called 'Boss Rush' that lets players duke it out with multiple bosses back-to-back to unlock new items.

About the Author(s)

Chris Kerr

News Editor, GameDeveloper.com

Game Developer news editor Chris Kerr is an award-winning journalist and reporter with over a decade of experience in the game industry. His byline has appeared in notable print and digital publications including Edge, Stuff, Wireframe, International Business Times, and PocketGamer.biz. Throughout his career, Chris has covered major industry events including GDC, PAX Australia, Gamescom, Paris Games Week, and Develop Brighton. He has featured on the judging panel at The Develop Star Awards on multiple occasions and appeared on BBC Radio 5 Live to discuss breaking news.

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