Atomfall Profitable at Launch, Sequel Plans Discussed

Atomfall, the British survival game developed by Rebellion, has proven to be a remarkable success, becoming "immediately profitable" upon its release on March 27, 2025. Despite a significant portion of its 2 million players accessing the game through Xbox Game Pass, which means they did not purchase the game outright, Atomfall still managed to recoup its development costs right away.

Rebellion has not disclosed specific sales figures for Atomfall, which was launched across multiple platforms including PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. Instead, the developer highlighted that Atomfall marked their largest launch ever in terms of player engagement, a feat significantly boosted by Game Pass subscribers trying out the game on Xbox and PC.

Despite the availability on Game Pass, Atomfall's performance has not been negatively impacted. In a conversation with The Game Business, Rebellion revealed that the game, set in a post-apocalyptic northern England, quickly covered its development costs. The studio is now exploring possibilities for sequels or spin-offs while continuing to support Atomfall with post-launch content and DLC.

In an earlier discussion with GamesIndustry.biz, Rebellion's CEO, Jason Kingsley, emphasized that Atomfall's inclusion in Game Pass did not cannibalize sales. He explained that the benefits derived from being on Game Pass far outweigh the costs, as Microsoft ensures a guaranteed income level that helps mitigate financial risks.

Kingsley further elaborated on the marketing advantage of Game Pass, stating that it exposes the game to a broader audience, facilitating positive word-of-mouth that can drive further sales. "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,'" he said. This exposure leads to increased interest, with some players opting to purchase the game outright to join the conversation.

While the specifics of Microsoft's business agreements with developers remain confidential, it's clear that both Rebellion and Microsoft have benefited from Atomfall's success. Microsoft's last public update on Xbox Game Pass subscribers showed 34 million users as of February 2024.

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

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