Atomfall Turns Profit at Launch, Sequel in Discussion

Atomfall, the hit British survival game developed by Rebellion, became "immediately profitable" upon its release on March 27, 2025, despite a significant portion of its 2 million player base accessing the game through Xbox Game Pass. This means many players did not purchase the game outright, yet Atomfall still managed to recoup its development costs swiftly.

Rebellion has not disclosed specific sales figures for Atomfall, which launched across multiple platforms including PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. Instead, the developer highlighted that the game achieved the largest launch in terms of player numbers in Rebellion's history, likely boosted by Game Pass subscribers exploring the title on Xbox and PC.

Despite the availability on Game Pass, Atomfall did not suffer financially. In discussions with The Game Business, Rebellion confirmed that the game, set in a post-apocalyptic northern England, made back its development costs right away. Moving forward, the studio is exploring options for sequels or spin-offs while continuing to support Atomfall with post-launch content and DLC.

In an earlier interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Rebellion's CEO Jason Kingsley emphasized that launching Atomfall on Game Pass did not cannibalize sales. He noted that the financial benefits from Game Pass are "disproportionate" to the cost, and Microsoft ensures a guaranteed income level, reducing risk for developers.

Atomfall Review Screens

View 25 ImagesMoreover, Game Pass's broad reach helps market the game to a wider audience, enhancing word-of-mouth promotion. Kingsley explained that Game Pass allows players to try the game, and if they enjoy it, they are likely to recommend it to friends, some of whom may then purchase the game to join the conversation.

While the exact financial details of the agreement between Rebellion and Microsoft remain confidential, it's clear that both parties benefit. Microsoft's latest public figures from February 2024 show Xbox Game Pass with 34 million subscribers, 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 synthesizes them into its own fresh mutation."