Sony has insisted multiple times over the years that Microsoft’s Game Pass-centric model is not one that would work for PlayStation. The company has made it abundantly clear that it has no plans in the foreseeable future to start putting all of its games on subscription service day and date, believing that that would have an adverse impact on sales (something that Microsoft itself has also admitted). Now, leaked internal documents emerging from the recent Insomniac Games data breach have revealed data that seems to lend weight to that notion.
As per the documents, which were shared by a Reddit user, sales for Horizon Forbidden West “flatlined” after the open world action RPG became available via PlayStation Plus in its second year. The documents show a graph comparing Forbidden West’s sales in its second year to those of its predecessor, Horizon Zero Dawn, showcasing a noticeable comparative decline in sales, in spite of an “enormous influx” of players coming to the game through PlayStation Plus.
Sony also says in the leaked documents that it was expecting 30% year-on-year revenue of $124 million from year 2 sales of Horizon Forbidden West. However, following its addition to PlayStation Plus, Sony slashed those projections to 9% year-on-year revenue of $35 million, representing an $85 million loss in retail revenue.
Of course, it’s worth pointing out that Horizon Forbidden West has enjoyed its fair share of commercial success regardless. Earlier this year, Sony announced that the game had sold over 8.4 million units worldwide (against a budget of $212 million, as per leaks in July).
Horizon Forbidden West is available on PS5 and PS4. It launches for PC in early 2024.