Summary
Starfieldachieved immense U.S. sales during its launch month even though it was a day-one release on Xbox Game Pass, according to some newly surfaced data. This bit of industry insight sheds more light onStarfield’s historic successthat started taking shape as soon as the game entered early access on September 1.
Microsoft has long been valuing the growth of its subscription service at least as much as direct game sales, with that pursuit of larger audiences forming the backbone of its aggressive acquisition strategy that continues to this day. That notwithstanding, the company itself (internally)acknowledges that Xbox Game Pass cannibalizes traditional sales.
But it would appear how that drawback did little to impedeStarfieldfrom becoming an instant hit in terms of direct revenue, with a new report from Circana estimating that Bethesda’s latest title was the best-selling game in the U.S. over a five-week period ending September 30. The galaxy-hopping RPG hence managed to outperform the likes ofMortal Kombat 1,EA Sports FC 24, andPayday 3, all of which were new releases that found their way to the top five best-selling stateside titles during the observed period.
That massively successful launch month already positionedStarfieldas the seventh best-selling game of the year, Circana reports. The newest title that’s still above Bethesda’s RPG in terms of annual U.S. sales isMadden NFL 24, which has been on the market for two weeks longer thanStarfieldand currently ranks third on the same chart, belowThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the KingdomandHogwarts Legacy.
And whileStarfieldwould have feasibly ranked even higher were it not a day-one Xbox Game Pass release, the RPG also reaped some benefits from its inclusion into Microsoft’s subscription service. That much was already clear in early September, whenStarfieldbecame the biggest launch in Bethesda’s history, boasting six million players across PC and the current-generation Xbox consoles within a day of leaving early access.
The game managed to maintain its strong momentum in the weeks that followed, as underlined by Bethesda’s announcement thatStarfieldhit 10 million playersat the tail end of summer. As for its effect on Xbox Game Pass subscriptions, Microsoft might share some data on that front come October 24, when the tech giant is scheduled to release its next earnings report covering the three-month period ending September 30. In the meantime, what’s clear is thatStarfieldis already 2023’s second best-selling console exclusive in the U.S., right behindTears of the Kingdomand in spite of the fact that many gamers played it through their Xbox Game Pass subscriptions.
Starfieldis available now on PC and Xbox Series X/S.
