It really seemed like Outriders had got off to a good start. The looter-shooter garnered solid reviews and over 3.5 million players in its first month, but apparently, it wasn’t enough for publisher Square Enix to actually pay developer People Can Fly, who haven’t received any royalties from the game’s first-quarter sales. People Can Fly will only receive royalties once Square Enix’s costs related to Outriders have been covered, despite PCF estimating the game has already sold 2 to 3 million units.
So, why hasn’t Outriders turned a profit? Well, People Can Fly speculate the cause may be partnerships with “distribution platforms or entities offering Outriders as an addition to their products.” PCF don’t come right out and say it, but it sure sounds like they’re talking about Xbox Game Pass (Outriders was one of the first big third-party Day One Game Pass releases).
The nitty gritty of how publishers are paid for putting their games on Xbox Game Pass is one of the big secrets of the industry. There have been hints it’s based on engagement and time played, but the specifics are unknown. Regardless, it seems like the Day One Game Pass release gambit didn’t pay off for Outriders (it certainly didn’t for People Can Fly).
Following its solid debut, the playerbase for Outriders has fallen off, but People Can Fly remain committed to the game, so hopefully they have some royalties coming in the future…
Outriders is available now on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, and Stadia.
