Two weeks ago, Capcom confirmed that as a result of a personal data breach last November, the private data of roughly 390,000 users had been compromised. The company, which was targeted by a ransomware attack, had thousands of records stolen from its servers, including the names and addresses of customers and former staff.
Now, the Osaka-based company has issued a press release in which it addresses the cyberattack as well as its current financial situation. According to the company, sales increased moderately from October to December, allowing the developer of the Resident Evil franchise to stay on track for the fiscal year.
Regarding the data breach and how it will impact new releases, Capcom says that “development has been normalized and there is no major impact at this time.” As for the decline in the non-consolidated profit margin in the third quarter, the company says that the margin decreased during the holiday season and the promotion of repeat titles, which includes more than 200 games.
In terms of sales of Monster Hunter Rise, the sixth installment in the Monster Hunter series after Monster Hunter: World, which will be released globally on March 26, 2021, Capcom says that although there has been a significant number of orders, they rather wait until the release date to see how sales go.
Overall, Capcom’s initial impression is that demand for Monster Hunter Rise is strong in the Japanese market, while sales will increase in the US and European markets over the medium term. The company will evaluate the difference in sales trends between Monster Hunter: World and Monster Hunter Rise in order to plan future strategies for the franchise.
Monster Hunter, which was first released for PS2 in 2004, has sold 65 million units worldwide and is Capcom's second best-selling franchise after Resident Evil. Monster Hunter: World, released worldwide for PS4 and Xbox One in January 2018, has shipped more than 16.4 million units as of September 30, 2020, making the title the best-selling game in Capcom's history.
Source: Capcom