Capcom games don’t often launch on Game Pass. The most recent example is Monster Hunter Rise, but it had already released on PC and Nintendo Switch prior to its Xbox launch. The publisher’s games are often big enough to stand on their own when they first come out. But Exoprimal is different. It’s a new IP and that makes all the difference.
Why is Exoprimal on Game Pass?
Technical director Kazuki Abe spoke about its inclusion on Game Pass in a recent interview. He backed up and talked about the cross-platform play and how it needed fewer barriers overall so players can more easily connect. And with these added connection points, players would have a more varied experience.
“Exoprimal is an online-only game,” said Abe. “And so part of the joy is going online whether you’re playing with friends or complete strangers and then playing against friends and strangers. The game is built in such a way where the cross-platform matchmaking is also an option, so you’ll be able to play against people on other platforms. And so you connect with a variety of individuals, whether they’re people you know or not.
“And with those various connections, you build various relationships and have various gameplay experiences. And because of that varied experience, it should hopefully make the experience of playing the game more enjoyable for you and others who are there in your matches as well.”
He then got to how Exoprimal is a new IP and people will naturally not be as familiar with a new title. This just gets their foot in the door and opens them up to the game.
“Exoprimal is also a new IP, so there’s a lot of unfamiliarity with what the game has to offer,” said Abe. “By offering the game on Game Pass, it allows an additional group of folks to be able to join in this cross-platform fun, but it also allows people who are unsure about the game to give it a try for themselves and to really experience and understand the charm of the game and what it has to offer. And then they’ll use that to tell their friends and family about it and really spread the word. So it’s really another stepping stone for getting folks interested in and enjoying what Exoprimal has to offer.”
Many multiplayer games from big publishers have also launched on Game Pass from Back 4 Blood to Rainbow Six Extraction to Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed.
