In a submit celebrating survival-action sport Atomfall’s launch milestone of 1.5 million+ gamers, which has since grown to 2 million gamers, Rebel CEO Jason Kingsley drew consideration to the studio’s approach of constructing video games.
“Our dimension and stability imply that we will take dangers to create one thing as completely different as Atomfall. Fortunately, that danger is paying off.”
Amid a turbulent age of blockbuster sport budgets, GamesIndustry.biz requested Kingsley if he believes Rebel has acquired the size of its tasks – which embrace the favored Sniper Elite collection – excellent.
“I do not assume we have got it simply proper,” says Kingsley. “I feel that one of many issues Chris [Kingsley, Rebellion co-founder and CTO] and I wish to do is repeat success. So we wish to do extra Sniper Elite, we wish to do extra Zombie Military, we wish to do extra Unusual Brigade.”
“Now it seems to be like we wish to do extra Atomfall – it has been profitable, can we discover the assets to do it? I do not know. The thought has all the time been to have two thirds sequels, and one third new IP, pushing the boundaries. Partly as a result of it is really fascinating to unravel the puzzles with a brand new IP.”
Atomfall, which launched on PC, PS5 and Xbox in late March (together with Recreation Cross for PC and Xbox), takes gamers to an alternate historical past of the UK the place the Windscale nuclear catastrophe turned a big chunk of the British countryside right into a quarantine zone.
Escape is the objective, as gamers then sneak, barter and battle their approach throughout a number of interconnected areas patrolled by rogue factions, troopers and lethal robots.
Between its reveal and launch, Atomfall drew superficial comparisons to the Fallout collection. However its personal reference factors are extra particularly British, together with science fiction books like Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham or The Demise of Grass by John Christopher.
“We strive our hardest to regulate budgets and make them the suitable dimension for our video games”
Jason Kingsley, Rebel
Nonetheless, the Fallout comparisons did not damage. Atomfall drew numerous buzz following its reveal finally 12 months’s Xbox Video games Showcase, and Kingsley factors out that wishlists for the sport “have fully damaged our projections as a result of they are much greater than they have been for the rest.”
The sport’s many influences went past Bethesda’s RPGs, too.
“The Fallout collection, together with any post-apocalyptic video games, are clearly a reference level for us. It is arduous for it to not be. We didn’t got down to make an English model of Fallout at any stage, however we have been very conscious that it was a simple comparability to make, as a result of [it’s a] post-apocalyptic panorama.”
“In some methods, the Metro collection, or the STALKER collection, are nearer in themes…there’s been a nuclear accident, and also you’re caught in an space because of it. That is extra thematically [linked].”
Gamers appeared to agree that Atomfall had its personal identification as soon as they acquired it of their arms.
“We hoped – and it gave the impression to be the case – that as quickly as individuals began to play it, they realised, ‘no, it is making an attempt to do its personal factor’. Albeit in an analogous broad style of post-apocalyptic [games].”
Because the assertion about ‘dimension and stability’ round Atomfall implies, Rebel has skilled continued success whereas many builders round it have undergone layoffs in recent times.
Managing budgets is vital to the studio. “We strive our hardest to regulate budgets and make them the suitable dimension for our video games. I am flattered to even be talked about in the identical space, and even vaguely occupying related components of the charts as improbable video games like Murderer’s Creed, that are costing tons of of thousands and thousands, I consider, I do not know whether or not the precise budgets are public. However I consider it is tons of of thousands and thousands.
“And clearly these video games, finally, will promote higher than our sport. However our sport is a really small fraction of that funds.”
Kingsley says that all the writer’s video games are worthwhile. With the evergreen Sniper Elite video games, its Zombie Military spin-offs and now Atomfall, Rebel has caught to a scope that is sensible for the corporate. “We do not intentionally match into this mid vary, however that is what we will do, and what we will do efficiently. We actually cannot afford to spend 200 million on making a sport. We simply do not have 200 million!”
Discoverability is one thing Kingsley ponders regularly. Steadily build up Rebel’s repute, game-by-game, is a part of that line of pondering. “On the finish of the day, if individuals come again and say, ‘I actually appreciated Rebel’s final sport, I am going to check out their subsequent sport’, you’ll be able to then construct up an viewers that can simply at the least sit ahead when there is a new sport introduced by us.”
The largest discoverability increase for Atomfall, although, was the advertising help and sheer visibility that comes with launching on Xbox Recreation Cross. It wasn’t Rebel’s first day-and-date launch for the subscription service, however as a brand new IP, the circumstances labored in everybody’s favour.
“It has been an enormous success,” Kingsley mentioned. “Microsoft has been a improbable associate to work with, they’ve actually leaned in to serving to us. They introduced their abilities and their scale to bear on our small challenge, and it is performed actually, very well for them, in order that they acquired a superb deal, we acquired a superb deal out of it as nicely.”
Kingsley’s hope is that the influence of reaching Recreation Cross customers extends to customers shopping for the sport, too.
“With Recreation Cross, you may get individuals to strive it, then because of these individuals making an attempt it, they prefer it, and so they then inform their mates on social media, ‘I discovered this sport on Recreation Cross, I actually loved it, you must have a go.’ After which a few of them are on Recreation Cross, and can [play] it. However a few of them aren’t on Recreation Cross, and also will wish to be a part of that dialog. So, they will go and purchase it.
“No less than, that is our concept – we do not have the information in for that. However Chris and I each really feel, one of many greatest challenges for a corporation like us is discovery. And Recreation Cross has allowed for lots of discovery for our sport.”
We requested Kingsley how Rebel forecasted gross sales for Atomfall, given its Recreation Cross launch.
“We’ve good concepts concerning the sort of scale, and we often do a low, medium and a excessive projection. And we hope [that] medium is about proper. You can too take a look at issues like wishlists earlier than launch and take a look at that curve – that is all the time a reasonably good indicator.”
As talked about, Atomfall wishlist numbers blew previous Rebel’s metrics, and the sport finally carried out forward of expectations. “We have performed rather a lot higher than our mid-range estimates, really, in order that’s good. It is good when advertising comes again to you and says, ‘yep, we underestimated our high-level success’, in order that’s good, and fairly pleasing.”
“Microsoft has been a improbable associate to work with, they’ve actually leaned in to serving to us.”
Jason Kingsley, Rebel
Past the invention advantages, the upside of launching a brand new IP like Atomfall on Recreation Cross is guaranteeing some sort of monetary return.
“Sure, it does mitigate danger, as a result of with out going into particulars, they assure you a sure degree of revenue, no matter what it should promote for,” Kingsley mentioned. “However it probably has a knock-on impact. Locations like Xbox gross sales, for instance. You could possibly argue that every one the hardcore are on Recreation Cross, and so they’re those which may purchase a brand new IP like this, so subsequently, are you cannibalising one part of the viewers? And I feel, maybe, sure, a bit bit. However what you acquire from that value is disproportionate.”
It was flattering, too, that Xbox took an curiosity within the challenge, with Kingsley describing the association as a “confidence booster” for its new sport.
It has been a really busy 2025 for the writer to date, with the discharge of Sniper Elite: Resistance coming simply two months earlier than Atomfall. Kingsley says the successive launches have been a ‘suboptimal’ scenario, and that it simply “sort of occurred”. Specifically, he says it was a pressure on Rebel’s advertising and communications operate – finally, although, he believes it ended nicely.
“It is labored. I would not plan it like that if we may presumably keep away from it [laughs].”
Atomfall was Kingsley’s dream sport. It was an thought he alluded to in press interviews for nearly a decade. When requested if he has one other ardour challenge he’d like Rebel to pursue down the road, the reply is one that will not shock anybody who’s watched Kingsley’s in style YouTube channel, Fashionable Historical past TV.
“I might like to attempt to make one thing medieval and fantasy. Do not know when, [or if] we’ll ever get assets – we’re over 500 members of full-time workers, and we do not have sufficient individuals to do all of the video games we wish to do.”
“I might like to do one thing that matches in with my YouTube channel, Fashionable Historical past TV, but in addition fantasy as nicely. Medieval, dragons, that sort of factor. I’ve acquired just a few concepts percolating in my head proper now, so possibly at some point, sure.”
