- Gears of War: E-Day has shipped only 62k copies on Xbox, as almost 2 million users accessed the title through Game Pass.
- However, 720k subscribers paid $30 to play the game five days earlier through Game Pass.
- Hence, the exclusive has made 75% of its revenue on Xbox, bringing in $37 million overall.
Marking a return to console exclusivity for Xbox, Gears of War: E-Day has ended up being a critical darling. The title has garnered acclaim from fans and critics alike, with many calling it a triumphant return to exclusivity for Team Green.
The third-person shooter has already broken records for the franchise, attaining the highest concurrent player peak for a Gears of War title on Steam in its early access alone. However, on its home turf, the game has barely sold 100k copies.
Why it matters: The chunk of revenue exclusive titles will make from this premium edition loophole on Game Pass won’t be enough to cover the premium sales the service is cannibalising in the long term.
According to data from Alinea Analytics, Gears of War: E-Day has sold only 62k copies on Xbox when accounting for both console and PC. Overall, the game has shipped 230k copies since launching, with Steam being responsible for the major chunk of this figure, accounting for 168k copies sold.
Unsurprisingly, the main reason behind this lackluster performance is the availability of Gears of War: E-Day on Game Pass, with 1.7 million players accessing the title through the service. However, despite the subscription model cannibalising pure sales, Game Pass also helped Xbox generate significant revenue through the premium edition upgrade for Gears of War: E-Day.
A staggering 722k Game Pass subscribers paid $30 to access the shooting title five days before its launch, with rave reviews convincing more consumers to purchase this premium edition upgrade. As a result, Gears of War: E-Day made 75% of its revenue on Xbox, with the platform bringing in $26 million compared to Steam’s $11 million.
Despite the chunk of revenue earned through the premium upgrades, the exclusive title hasn’t made the splash one would expect from a premium AAA title. With Gears of War: E-Day also disappointing on Steam, one should question if Game Pass cannibalisation is the sole reason the exclusive has fallen flat.
Do you think Game Pass is the reason Gears of War: E-Day has had such a poor start on all platforms? Would more people buy the game if it wasn’t on the service? Tell us in the comments below or head to the Tech4Gamers forum for discussion.
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Shameer Sarfaraz has previously worked for eXputer as a Senior News Writer for several years. Now with Tech4Gamers, he loves to devoutly keep up with the latest gaming and entertainment industries. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and years of experience reporting on games. Besides his passion for breaking news stories, Shahmeer loves spending his leisure time farming away in Stardew Valley. VGC, IGN, GameSpot, Game Rant, TheGamer, GamingBolt, The Verge, NME, Metro, Dot Esports, GameByte, Kotaku Australia, PC Gamer, and more have cited his articles.
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