Just Cause Devs Says Xbox Game Pass 'Has Been Really Great' For Them
Image: Avalanche Studios

Avalanche Studios, the team behind the Just Cause series and the upcoming Xbox Series X|S exclusive Contraband, has opened up about the joys of Xbox Game Pass. According to a recent interview with the studio's CEO Pim Holfve, "Game Pass has been really great for [them]."

Holfve was speaking to Gamesindustry.biz about the company's current titles in the service such as Just Cause 4 and theHunter: Call of the Wild. Focusing on the latter, Holfve said their "service model" has worked due to Xbox Game Pass. The game is claimed to have hit seven million players since its release and is still seeing around one million active players per-month.

Holfve also added that Game Pass has been a "good way" for people to check out the game, and as a result, purchase a variety of available DLCs. The closing thought was that "it's made Xbox a way more important platform than [they] ever initially thought."

"Game Pass has been really great for us, especially if we look at our self-published title. TheHunter: Call of the Wild helped us prove our service model and Xbox Game Pass was fantastic because we were able to reach so many more players. It's a good way for people to try [the game], and since we have such a massive DLC catalogue for that title — over 20 DLCs — it's a beautiful way of getting people in, getting engaged and showing that it's a stellar game. Then people are really tempted to buy more. So the business model really works to our advantage."

Holfve added that working with Xbox on Contraband "made a lot of sense" due to the "grandness" of the game. It's said to "not [be] a concept [they] would pitch to every publisher". Being a first-party title means they also have a lot of support, especially considering the game is arriving into Xbox Game Pass on day one.

"We've had a great relationship with Microsoft, and working with a first party has been intriguing as well, seeing what that actually means in terms of support and getting closer to the hardware. It's a new type of partnership for us. We've had fantastic partnerships with Square Enix, Bethesda and Warner Bros, but those are not the same as first-party."

There's no confirmed release date for Contraband yet, and all we've been privy to is a short teaser trailer, but it's sounding to be a pretty ambitious title. It's claimed to be an Xbox Series X|S exclusive due to the upgraded Apex engine being utilised for it, which is a "brand-new version with a lot of 'special sauce' added."

At the time of its reveal, it was said the game would "take full advantage of the unique capabilities of Xbox Series X|S". It's unclear how, but it's lining up to be the developer's biggest title yet. Let's wait and see if they stick the landing.

Are you excited for Contraband to hit Xbox Game Pass? Drop us a comment and let us know.

[source gamesindustry.biz]