If anyone was still harboring doubts about the efficacy of developers adding their titles to Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass service, the success of Dirt 5 appears to be ready to prove them wrong. The off-road racing game came to Game Pass in February this year, and even the developers at Codemasters have been surprised at the effect it's had on the growth of the player base.
Speaking with the folks at GameOnDaily on their weekly podcast, Dirt 5 technical director David Springate reported that the impact of the game's release on Xbox Game Pass had been "absolutely fantastic," going on to elaborate that the player count was now "shockingly huge." It seems the game's debut on Game Pass resulted in a huge spike in engagement, and had "a positive effect on the game and the way it's talked about."
It's not just a flash in the pan, either. Springate went on: "That continues, as well, in that Game Pass had obviously an initial massive push, but it's sustained." The growth, of course, wasn't quite as drastic in the subsequent weeks since the game's arrival on the service, but the team at Codemasters seems very pleased with how Dirt 5 has managed to retain the influx of new players. Springate was also very complimentary of the staff at Microsoft who were on hand to help them with the process, including solving some of the problems that smaller developers might face when suddenly met with a tidal wave of Xbox Game Pass subscribers flooding servers only designed to host so many at once.
This news bodes well for the numerous other developers bringing their own games to Xbox Game Pass, as well as those who arguably ought to consider it in the future. A recurring concern in the discourse about Game Pass revolves around the fear that users, able to dabble in a variety of games at once, might be less inclined to commit their time and money to any one particular title, but Dirt 5's success suggests that, for this game at least, those fears are unfounded.
In fact, users of Xbox Game Pass apparently tend to spend even more money on games than the average. The possible reasons for this, including the purchase of DLC and cosmetic items, might seem to leave smaller games from indie developers out in the cold, but Microsoft's approach to Game Pass, which often offers lump sums to the developers or offers to cover all production costs in exchange for getting the game on Game Pass on launch day, usually make sure no-one falls through the cracks.
Though some might fear that the explosive popularity of Xbox Game Pass might have a dark side to it, it's hard to argue with the results at the moment. By and large, developers and consumers alike seem very happy with the way the service works, and the accomplishments of Dirt 5 are just the latest in a string of success stories.
Dirt 5 is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.