Absolum blasts past 200,000 sales in a week — here’s what that actually means for beat ’em up fans

Absolum just landed big – here’s why I’m paying attention

Dotemu, Guard Crush Games, and Supamonks say Absolum has cleared 200,000 sales in its first week. For a new IP launching into a crowded October, that’s a statement. It’s a modern beat ’em up with roguelite progression – think arcade brawling with runs, routes, and build variance – out now on PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, and PS5 for €24.99, playable solo or in co-op. As someone who sank an unhealthy amount of time into Streets of Rage 4 and TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge, this caught my eye because the pedigree is there: Guard Crush knows how to make hits feel meaty, and Dotemu’s recent track record with retro-adjacent action is strong. The wild card is Supamonks, whose animation chops are apparent the moment Absolum starts moving.

Key Takeaways

• 200k week-one sales suggest the beat ’em up revival still has legs — especially when paired with roguelite replayability.
• At €24.99 with co-op, Absolum is positioned as an easy buy-in for genre fans, not a premium-priced gamble.
• The big question: can procedural encounters and multiple paths enhance, not dilute, the curated flow that makes brawlers sing?
• If you liked Streets of Rage 4 but wanted longer-term progression, this is likely your next fix.

Breaking down the announcement

Let’s ground this in what actually shipped. Absolum launched on October 9, 2025 across PC, Switch, PS4, and PS5. It’s a fantasy-set “rogue ’em up” with multiple playable heroes — including Brome, a staff-wielding Mowlaï who mixes melee strings with area spells and even hoverboard gliding — and a structure that blends hand-crafted stages with procedural encounters and branching routes. You fight through the world of Talamh, putting the hurt on the Sun King’s Crimson Order, but the hook here isn’t just lore. It’s the loop: choose your path, build your character, and try to make it further each run, solo or with a friend.

Co-op matters. Beat ’em ups thrive on shared chaos, and roguelites can get samey without social spice. The press beat says Absolum supports cooperative play; modes can vary by platform, so check whether your system of choice offers local, online, or both. Either way, a two-player run should make those procedural surprises less punishing and a lot more punchy.

The real story: why 200k in a week?

Two things drove that day-one momentum. First, trust. Dotemu has become a stamp of quality for action throwbacks that don’t just nostalgia-bait; they modernize. Second, gameplay feel. Guard Crush gave Streets of Rage 4 a weighty, readable combat rhythm, and the early Absolum footage shows a similar commitment to hitstop, crowd control, and combo expressiveness — just layered with spells, counters, and mobility tech you don’t often get in side-scrolling brawlers.

Roguelite brawlers are tricky. When these mashups miss, they usually fail in one of two ways: the procedural bits flatten pacing into a series of disconnected rooms, or the meta-progression turns into grind that papers over limited encounter variety. Absolum tries the smarter hybrid approach — fixed routes with multiple paths, but varying enemy groups and rewards — which, on paper, preserves set-piece design while still keeping replays fresh. If the pool of encounters is wide (and well-curated), this could be the secret sauce that keeps players coming back.

What gamers need to know before buying

• Price-to-value: At €24.99, Absolum sits in that sweet spot where a strong combat loop and decent run variety justify the ticket. If you’re expecting a 20-hour story campaign, remember: this is run-based by design.
• Combat depth: Expect light/heavy chains, parries, and spell cancels. If you enjoyed labbing juggles in Streets of Rage 4 or mixing specials in Shredder’s Revenge, you’ll feel at home here.
• Character choice matters: Brome is a standout for hybrid play — ranged AoE to soften crowds, staff strings to finish. If you’re co-oping, try complementary roles: one crowd-control heavy, one single-target bully.
• Replayability vs. repetition: The branching stage routes should help runs feel distinct, but roguelites live or die by encounter pool size. If repetition bugs you, give it a week for balance patches and meta tweaks — Dotemu typically supports post-launch.
• Co-op logistics: Verify whether your platform supports the co-op style you want before committing; nothing kills hype faster than realizing your couch co-op night requires a workaround.

Industry context: the beat ’em up comeback, with a twist

The genre’s been on a quiet heater. From Streets of Rage 4 to Shredder’s Revenge, we’ve seen a revival that respects fundamentals: clear readability, expressive movesets, and co-op mayhem. Absolum’s twist is bringing roguelite structure to a side-scrolling format without ditching authored stage design. That’s not common — most roguelites skew top-down or platformer — and it could give Absolum longer legs than the typical “finish in a weekend” brawler. It also explains the fast sales: a familiar shell with modern staying power.

Tips if you’re jumping in now

• Learn parry timing early. Brawlers punish button-mashing; roguelites punish overconfidence. Perfect counters will save runs.
• Route for synergy. If a run leans into crowd control, pick paths that reward AoE upgrades; if you’ve got single-target melt, chase elite-heavy routes.
• In co-op, define roles. One player kites and staggers groups, the other deletes priority targets. Don’t overlap specials if you can chain them.
• Use mobility. Characters with levitation/glide can reposition to avoid pincer spawns — a big deal when encounters are mixed up run to run.

Looking ahead

Crossing 200,000 in a week gives Absolum a healthy runway. Expect balance passes as high-skill players break the systems, and don’t be surprised if new routes or heroes appear down the line. Supamonks’ animation DNA already gives the game a distinct look; if post-launch support keeps the encounter pool fresh, Absolum could become the go-to “one more run” brawler.

TL;DR

Absolum’s strong week-one sales aren’t a fluke — it’s a sharp, stylish brawler with roguelite legs at a fair price. If you want classic co-op chaos with modern progression, jump in. If you’re allergic to run-based repetition, watch a patch cycle and see how the encounter variety shakes out.