Square Enix boss Yosuke Matsuda admits the publisher has been "pleasantly surprised" by the success of 'Outriders'.
The tech boss has hailed the new shooter IP, and Matsuda has conceded that joining forces with Microsoft to ensure the title has been available on Xbox Game Pass from day one has "worked in its favour".
He told VGC: "In regards to the response to 'Outriders', while there were slight issues with bugs and the like on launch, we believe it has gotten off to a good start as a new IP.
"In addition, we have been pleasantly surprised as the digital sales ratio for the title have 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 favour."
Earlier this year, meanwhile, Phil Spencer said that future Bethesda games will be exclusive to "platforms where Game Pass exists".
Microsoft's gaming boss opened up about the acquisition of both Bethesda and its parent company Zenimax Media, explaining what it means for the studio's titles.
He said: "The thing I want you to know is this is about delivering great exclusive games for you that ship on platforms where Game Pass exists.
"And that's our goal, that's why we're doing this, that's the root of this partnership that we're building - and the creative capability we'll be able to bring to market for Xbox customers is going to be the best it's ever been for Xbox after we're done here."
