Outriders’ Devs Could Be Struggling to Break Even, Despite Game Pass Demand

Outriders has been making quite the splash on Game Pass as of late, though, sadly, not so much on the financial front. That's according to a recent financial statement that developer People Can Fly made to investors. According to the note, they have yet to receive a royalty fee from Square Enix, who published the game back in April. That means that, even with the popularity and newfound reputation the shooter-looter has amassed, it still hasn't quite managed to break even in terms of financials. Or at least that's what it looks like.

Going a little deeper into the statement, People Can Fly confirmed that, up until August 16, they have yet to receive any form of royalty fee for their work. Square Enix, on the other hand, have yet to comment on the statement, suggesting Ouriders could still very well be struggling to surpass their expectations. However, going by the number of players and the general flow of the third-person hit, it's unlikely that Square will sit on the mounds of cash for much longer.

People Can Fly commented…

Outriders released on April 1st on Xbox, PlayStation, Stadia and PC, with extra rights given to Xbox Game Pass subscribers on launch. Since then, People Can Fly has touched base on the sales front, estimating a total of two to three million units shipped since its release. However, with no official data to back the rough estimate, the Polish developer suggests Outriders has yet to reach its target.

“Perhaps it was caused by some elements of Square Enix's sales policy, the details of which we do not know, such as partnerships concluded by the publisher with distribution platforms or entities offering Outriders as an addition to their products,” PCF president Sebastian Wojciechowski commented. “Failure to achieve the level of profitability may also mean that the costs incurred by the publisher are higher than expected.”

“But I don't want to speculate; we will analyse the situation further. It is worth noting, however, that such explanations take time and our influence on the publisher's position is limited.”

Outriders released on April 1st 2021. People Can Fly estimates two to three million sales since its launch.

So, what do you make of the lack of royalty fees? Have you had a chance to pick up Outriders yet? Let us know over on our social handle here. Or, if you're sticking around, then why not take a look at some of these:

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