Atomfall, the hit British survival game developed by Rebellion, achieved immediate profitability upon its release on March 27, 2025, across PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. Despite a significant portion of its 2 million players accessing the game through Xbox Game Pass, rather than purchasing it directly, Atomfall still managed to recoup its development costs swiftly.

Rebellion has not disclosed specific sales figures for Atomfall but emphasized that it marked the studio's largest launch to date in terms of player engagement. The inclusion on Xbox Game Pass undoubtedly played a role in this success, allowing a broader audience to try the game without a direct purchase.

In discussions with The Game Business, Rebellion confirmed that Atomfall's financial success enabled the studio to consider future projects, including sequels or spin-offs, while continuing to support the game with post-launch content and DLC.

Jason Kingsley, head of Rebellion, shared insights with GamesIndustry.biz about the strategic benefits of launching on Game Pass. He noted that the platform not only guarantees a certain level of income, which helps mitigate financial risks, but also amplifies the game's exposure to a vast audience. This increased visibility fosters word-of-mouth promotion, which can drive further sales outside the Game Pass ecosystem.

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."

While the financial specifics of Microsoft's agreements with developers like Rebellion remain confidential, it's clear that both parties benefit from the arrangement. Microsoft's latest public figure shows Xbox Game Pass had 34 million subscribers as of February 2024, indicating a large potential audience for games like Atomfall.

IGN praised Atomfall in its review, 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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