More Outriders games are likely thanks to 3.5 million players milestone

Outriders character holding two pistols — (Image credit: People Can Fly)

Outriders attracted 3.5 million unique players in April, and according to Square Enix the series is “on track to become the company’s next major franchise.” In other words, the possibility of an Outriders 2 seems high, not to mention updates to the existing game.

That number is impressive, but it has no bearing on sales figures: Outriders was an Xbox Game Pass launch title on Xbox consoles, so I’d hazard a guess that a lot of players are coming from there. Meanwhile, there’s a substantial free demo on all platforms, though it’s unclear whether this figure includes those players.

But no matter how you cut it, Outriders has attracted players, and People Can Fly is “committed to improving and enhancing the experience in the coming weeks and months,” adding that “we also look forward to expanding on Outriders in the future.”

While the studio insists Outriders is not a live service game, People Can Fly’s creative director said in April that it was open to “significant expansions” down the line, citing Diablo’s approach as inspiration.

From the vantage point of last month, Outriders has been the most divisive game of 2021 so far. Morgan didn’t love it, but I had a good time with it.

Shaun Prescott is the Australian editor of PC Gamer. With over ten years experience covering the games industry, his work has appeared on GamesRadar+, TechRadar, The Guardian, PLAY Magazine, the Sydney Morning Herald, and more. Specific interests include indie games, obscure Metroidvanias, speedrunning, experimental games and FPSs. He thinks Lulu by Metallica and Lou Reed is an all-time classic that will receive its due critical reappraisal one day.