Square Enix took a gamble when it launched its co-op looter shooter Outriders on Xbox Game Pass on day one. In a recent financial briefing, President Yosuke Matsuda reported that it has seen strong digital sales and an increased player base without the use of microtransactions. Creative director Bartosz Kmita had previously said that content should be the priority for games above all else. Outriders also launched on Steam, which also had a significant impact on its player count and game sales. It seems that these combined strategies have paid off.
…we have been pleasantly surprised as the digital sales ratio for the title has been very high, and the number of active users has also beaten our expectations. We believe that
our decision to make Outriders available with Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass as soon as the title launched also worked in our favor. (to build an installed base for the game)
Sources: Square Enix, Tweaktown