Atomfall Profitable at Launch, Sequel Plans Discussed Despite Game Pass Influx

Rebellion, the developer behind the highly successful British survival game Atomfall, has announced that the game achieved immediate profitability upon its release on March 27, 2025. Despite a significant portion of its 2 million players accessing the game through Xbox Game Pass—meaning they did not purchase it directly—Atomfall has proven to be a financial success across PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S platforms.

While exact sales figures for Atomfall remain undisclosed, Rebellion has highlighted that the game marks their largest launch ever in terms of player engagement. The inclusion on Game Pass undoubtedly played a role in attracting a large number of players eager to try out the title on Xbox and PC.

In discussions with The Game Business, Rebellion revealed that Atomfall, a post-apocalyptic simulator set in northern England, quickly recouped its development costs. The studio is now exploring opportunities for sequels or spin-offs, while also focusing on ongoing post-launch support and DLC for Atomfall.

Jason Kingsley, the head of Rebellion, spoke to IGN's sister site GamesIndustry.biz about the strategic benefits of launching on Game Pass. He emphasized that the platform helped avoid "cannibalizing" sales, offering a disproportionate benefit in terms of exposure and revenue. Kingsley noted that Microsoft ensures a guaranteed level of income, which helps mitigate financial risks for developers.

Launching on Game Pass not only markets the game to a vast audience but also leverages word-of-mouth to further boost sales. Kingsley explained, "With Game Pass, you can get people to try it, then as a result of those people trying it, they like it, and they then tell their mates on social media, 'I found this game on Game Pass, I really enjoyed it, you should have a go.' And then some of them are on Game Pass, and will play it. But some of them aren't on Game Pass, and will also want to be part of that conversation. So, they'll go and buy it."

Although the specifics of Microsoft's business arrangements with developers like Rebellion are kept under wraps, it's clear that both parties benefit from games that draw players to the subscription service. The most recent public data from Microsoft indicates that Xbox Game Pass had 34 million subscribers as of February 2024.

IGN's review of Atomfall praised the game, describing it as "a gripping survival-action adventure that takes some of the best elements of Fallout and Elden Ring, and synthesises them into its own fresh mutation."

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