How Xbox Game Pass Helped Everspace 2 Reach New Heights

Michael Schade, CEO and co-founder of Rockfish Games, explains in a guest article why Xbox Game Pass has been a game-changer for the Hamburg-based company, providing insights into base game sales after the title left Game Pass in October 2024.

As an independent developer, we're used to fighting uphill battles. Limited marketing budgets, pressure to break through the noise, and the constant need to make every development decision count. That's why I want to share a few details about how much Xbox Game Pass has been a game-changer for us at Rockfish Games.

Since Everspace 2 left the service in October last year, the base game has sold 25% more units and generated 35% more revenue on the Xbox Series than on PlayStation 5, despite the fact that PS5 has at least twice as many users. Attach rates and net revenue for the Supporter Pack and the two expansions are also higher by double digits on Xbox. But when we factor in our partnership with Xbox Game Pass, the picture becomes even more striking.

This post-Game Pass performance on Xbox may be surprising news to some, but as many marketers know, visibility is key to success. From the announcement of Everspace 2 through to the release of our most recent expansion, Wrath of the Ancients, the game has been featured in thousands of news articles, thanks to not only our marketing efforts, but also the support of the Xbox Game Pass and ID@Xbox teams. When Everspace 2 was shared as a part of the Game Pass slate, we instantly saw a jump in interest on the title from media and influencers who play on all platforms.

Thanks to Game Pass, over 800,000 players have downloaded and jumped into Everspace 2 through the service. That's 800,000 pilots discovering our game on a single platform, many of whom might never have tried it otherwise.

The revenue from our Game Pass deal also gave us something that’s hard to come by in this industry: stability and creative freedom. It allowed us to take our time, polish the game the way we wanted to, and ultimately deliver a better experience. Not just for Xbox players, but for everyone across all platforms. When we say that "everyone gets a better game because of Xbox Game Pass," we mean it.

But it goes even further. In our long-term partnership with Microsoft, we have struck multiple deals with Microsoft, building a level of trust and credibility that extends well beyond the Xbox ecosystem. When potential partners see that we've consistently delivered under the wing of a platform like Xbox, it opens doors and builds extra confidence in our vision and execution.

We've always believed in building top-quality space combat games for genre fans and beyond on all platforms, and with Xbox Game Pass, we've been able to reach more of them than ever before. For other indie devs wondering whether Game Pass is worth it: from where we stand, it's not just worth it. It's one of the best decisions we've ever made.