Playing Ori Through Game Pass Does Not Benefit Developers, Says Director

Expert Verified By

Asked Fans To Buy Ori on Steam Instead!

Story Highlights
  • The director of the Ori series has asked fans to buy the game on Steam if they want to support Moon Studios.
  • He stated that fans playing the series on Game Pass would not help the team.
  • The developer still admitted that the subscription is quite helpful for smaller teams.

Game Pass is home to 34 million Xbox users. With an assortment of first and third-party AAA releases, this service seeks to revolutionize modern game distribution on consoles and PCs, offering various perks for both developers and consumers.

However, Game Pass downloads might not be too beneficial for the developers themselves if the CEO of Moon Studios is to be believed.

Why it matters: The long-term viability of Game Pass has been a persistent question about the subscription, and this response raises a few more eyebrows about the service.

Moon Studios recently received new attention following the reveal of No Rest For The Wicked. Acknowledging the recent support, CEO Thomas Mahler asked fans to support the team by buying the Ori franchise on Steam.

However, he specifically pointed to Steam purchases. When asked why the CEO did not refer to the game on Xbox platforms, he had a surprising response, pointing to a potential negative of Game Pass.

People get it on Game Pass and that doesn’t help Moon.

-Thomas Mahler

The CEO explained that Game Pass is typically beneficial for smaller teams since it leads to an upfront fee. This is precisely why developers like Round8 Studios found it exciting to launch Lies of P on the service.

However, Moon Studios does not receive much benefit from players using Game Pass to play the Ori series. This also explains why many developers remain doubtful about a future revolving around subscriptions.

Ori and The Will of the Wisps
Ori and The Will of The Wisps Image via Steam

This response highlights the downsides of Microsoft’s reliance on Game Pass for its first-party releases. While the likes of Starfield boasted millions of players last year, the subscription may have limited profits in the long run.

Still, Xbox continues to push for a subscription-based future. The Ori series is also part of the service, and we certainly recommend existing subscribers to try both games since they are among Microsoft’s best first-party releases over the last decade.

Was our article helpful? 👨‍💻

Thank you! Please share your positive feedback. 🔋

How could we improve this post? Please Help us. 😔

Gear Up For Latest News

Get exclusive gaming & tech news before it drops. Sign up today!

Join Our Community

Still having issues? Join the Tech4Gamers Forum for expert help and community support!

Latest News

Join Our Community

104,000FansLike
32,122FollowersFollow

Trending

Steam Machine Priced At $1050; 2TB Variant To Cost Nearly $1500

Valve has finally shared official details regarding the Steam Machine, confirming a steep MSRP of over $1000.

New Document Reveals Sony’s Fix for Rising PS5 Costs May Be Selling Fewer Consoles

A new document reveals that Sony could be looking to manage the high memory prices by simply selling fewer PS5 units and ending promotions.

The Steam Machine is Set to Receive a Huge Upgrade With FSR 4

New code added to the Proton Experimental layer indicates that Valve may be preparing FSR 4 technology for the Steam Machine.

Record $201.6B Video Game Industry Revenue in 2025, Overshadowed By Thousand Of Layoffs

New record of $201.6B made by video game industry in 2025, though there were thousand of layoffs of workers.

Devil May Cry 1 Remake Is In Development, Production Is Far Along Says Insider

As per an insider, a Devil May Cry 1 remake is in the works at Capcom, and the project is pretty far along in development.