Pillars of Eternity Sold 500,000 Copies, eBooks Planned for Release “This Year”

Paradox Interactive has sent out a press release to celebrate the fact that Pillars of Eternity has sold over 500,000 copies worldwide, including backer pledges. Partly because of these sales results, Obsidian seems to intend to quickly expand the franchise, and in addition to the release of the Lords of the Eastern Reach card game slated for a 2016 release, also pledged to release a series of eBooks featuring the characters and lore of the game, written by the game’s core writers (Eric Fenstermaker, Carrie Patel and Paul Kirsch):

Pillars of Eternity Celebrates 500,000 Copies Sold

Obsidian’s CRPG Masterpiece Expanding Across Supplements, Books, and Tabletop Games

IRVINE, Calif. and STOCKHOLM Oct. 23, 2015 Obsidian Entertainment and Paradox Interactive today announced that Pillars of Eternity, the critically acclaimed computer role-playing game (CRPG) made possible by a record-setting crowdfunding campaign, has crossed a new milestone, and has now sold over 500,000 copies worldwide. Including fans who backed Pillars of Eternity on Kickstarter, over half a million players have purchased the game worldwide, making it one of the best-selling games on Steam this year. Pillars of Eternity has gone on to be one of the best reviewed PC games of 2015, and in addition to its two-part expansion The White March, Obsidian has plans to continue to expand upon its rich universe across several forthcoming releases.

(Every one of these milestones, from the completion of our crowdfunding campaign to the game’s release and beyond, is a surreal moment when you consider where this journey began,) said Feargus Urquhart, CEO of Obsidian Entertainment. (Pillars of Eternity has been a life-changing experience for me, and for everyone involved in its creation. Knowing that over half a million people have gotten to share in that is both flattering and humbling. I want to deeply thank all of our fans and supporters. We can’t wait to share what we’ve got next for the world of Eora.)

Following the release of Pillars of Eternity in March, 2015, Obsidian Entertainment has announced several additions and expansions to the world, lore, and gameplay of the award-winning CRPG. An expansion to the based game, titled (The White March,) was announced as a two-part addition, with Part I releasing in August, 2015. A tabletop card game based on the Pillars of Eternity world, Lords of the Eastern Reach, has also been announced for a 2016 release. In addition, several digital books ((eBooks)) are slated to release this year featuring the characters and lore of Pillars of Eternity, authored by members of the game’s core writing team, including Carrie Patel, Eric Fenstermaker, and Paul Kirsch.

(It’s very encouraging to see so much enthusiasm for the classic CRPG alive and well within the gaming community,) said Fredrik Wester, CEO of Paradox Interactive. (It’s a genre we’re very fond of ourselves, as evidenced by the large number of Pillars of Eternity backers within our own company. Given that Paradox itself grew from tabletop-inspired strategy games, we’ve always believed there was plenty of room for the ‘˜classic’ genres to thrive, and we’re very proud to see half a million players agree with us.)

Pillars of Eternity is a CRPG inspired by classic titles such as Baldur’s Gate, Icewind Dale, and Planescape: Torment, which features an original world and game system that evokes and improves upon the classic experience. Funded via Kickstarter in late 2012, raising $4.5 million through both backer pledges on Kickstarter and Obsidian’s own website, Pillars of Eternity has been a project of passion both for the development team and for the loyal fans who have made it possible.

There’s no news as to when the second part of The White March is expected to release, which makes me guess Obsidian hasn’t quite settled down on a release window yet. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the second expansion release in 2016, at this rate.