Avalanche's first-party deal with Microsoft is central to the studio's new game 'Contraband'.
That is according to Avalanche CEO Pim Holfve, who made the claim after 'Contraband' was revealed as an Xbox console exclusive during E3 2021.
In a wide-ranging interview with GamesIndustry, Pim explained: "Game Pass has been really great for us, especially if we look at our self-published title.
"'TheHunter: Call of the Wild' helped us prove our service model and Xbox Game Pass was fantastic because we were able to reach so many more players. It’s a good way for people to try [the game], and since we have such a massive DLC catalogue for that title - over 20 DLCs - it’s a beautiful way of getting people in, getting engaged and showing that it’s a stellar game. Then people are really tempted to buy more. So the business model really works to our advantage.
"It’s made Xbox a way more important platform than we ever initially thought. We thought [the game’s userbase] was going to mainly be on PC. So we’re reaching a way bigger audience."
Pim explained that the studio is now able to get "closer to the hardware" thanks to its links to Microsoft.
Pim said: "It’s a new type of partnership for us. We’ve had fantastic partnerships with Square Enix, Bethesda, and Warner Bros., but those are not the same as first-party."
