Atomfall's Game Pass Debut a “Huge Success,” Rebellion CEO Confirms

Rebellion Developments has struck gold with the release of Atomfall, their newest action-survival title, which launched across platforms on March 27. With over two million players already diving into the post-apocalyptic world, CEO Jason Kingsley has declared its launch on Xbox Game Pass a “huge success”—not just for exposure, but for profitability as well.

Game Pass Boosted Atomfall’s Visibility and Reach

In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Kingsley praised Microsoft’s collaboration, crediting Xbox Game Pass for giving Atomfall the exposure that helped it go viral within the gaming community.

“Microsoft has been a fantastic partner,” Kingsley said. “They brought their skills and scale to bear on our small project, and it’s done really well for them—and for us.”

According to Kingsley, launching on Game Pass helped overcome one of the most critical challenges for indie developers: discoverability. With a new IP, especially in a crowded genre, Game Pass enabled Atomfall to bypass traditional sales hurdles by letting players try the game at no additional cost—leading to organic promotion via word of mouth and social media.

Over Two Million Players and Surpassed Sales Expectations

While the two million figure includes Game Pass subscribers and doesn’t reflect direct unit sales, Kingsley confirmed that Atomfall‘s actual sales “surpassed our mid-range estimates.”

“We’ve done a lot better than our mid-range estimates,” Kingsley noted. “So that’s nice.”

He also acknowledged that while launching on Game Pass might reduce individual Xbox game purchases, the guaranteed financial return from Microsoft helped ensure early profitability. “The gain from that cost was disproportionate,” he added, emphasizing the economic value of Game Pass partnerships.

Sequel in Sight? Atomfall Franchise May Expand

Given the game’s explosive success, Rebellion is now evaluating the possibility of turning Atomfall into a full franchise.

“Now it looks like we want to do more Atomfall—it’s been successful,” Kingsley hinted. “Can we find the resources to do it? I don’t know.”

Set in a post-nuclear disaster landscape in Northern England and inspired by the real-life Windscale nuclear incident of the 1950s, Atomfall has drawn comparisons to Fallout, with its gritty storytelling and immersive survival mechanics. The game released on PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, becoming Rebellion’s most successful launch in the company’s 32-year history.