People Can Fly's RPG-shooter Outriders has seen considerable recent commercial success, which publisher Square Enix attributes to the game's availability on Xbox Game Pass. Square Enix and People Can Fly are interested in expanding the IP to draw in even more players.
Outriders had numerous problems at launch, but despite this, its availability on Xbox Game Pass has driven sales and exposed the game to a wider audience than other premium releases. Outriders saw a player base of 3.5 million players during its launch month, and Square Enix hopes to keep its strong install base engaged with the game.
On May 13, Square Enix president Yosuke Matsuda spoke of Outriders at the company's financial results briefing regarding the past year. Matsuda stated that despite "slight issues" with bugs at launch, Square Enix considers Outriders a commercial success. Matsuda's comment about "slight issues" is likely referring to the many negative user reviews Outriders was flooded with regarding server issues and game-breaking bugs.
Last month, Square Enix published a press release on May 19 showing interest in developing more Outriders content and indicating that the IP is likely to become Square Enix's next major franchise. Stories in the game such as the Wanderer's Quest for Redemption are compelling, and the world has potential to tell many more. Despite the issues at launch, the game has found a fanbase, and given the right tools Outriders could become a major player in the gaming industry.
Square Enix and People Can Fly's plans to expand the world of Outriders may not go over well with the more disappointed side of the fanbase, as the many players who could barely play at all during launch week continue to call for improvements. Some of the updates haven't quite hit the mark, with one recent Outriders update causing numerous new bugs with the intent to fix old ones. Still, for Game Pass owners, having Outriders for free could be a good way for players to find out if the game is for them.
The Outriders fandom is experiencing a trial by fire, but those who stayed with the game saw plenty of updates attempting to improve the experience. The game may have had a rough launch but it has the potential to grow, and the developers at People Can Fly appear committed to improving the game.
Outriders is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
Source: VGC