Sometimes you just have to ignore the naysayers. Microsoft’s controversial release of Phantom Dust is seemingly paying off. The game has reached over one million players across Xbox One and Windows 10 – about ten times as many people who bought the original game for Xbox back in 2004. To be fair, Phantom Dust is a free title but the numbers are still impressive because the game was only released about six weeks ago.
“On behalf of Microsoft and Code Mystics, we’d just like to say thank you to the over one million players out there that have checked the game out – this blows away the original numbers of players the game had when first released, and we couldn’t be happier with the level of exposure that it has received,” said Microsoft Studios Creative Director Adam Isgreen.
Phantom Dust has had two updates which have added 74 new skills to the game. The developers have made it much easier to collect all of the skills. While the original game awarded you a skill for every thirty multiplayer matches played, you can now gain a new skill by simply logging in every day. Each day there will be a different skill available and when the game has run through the entire list it will repeat. Those who play four days a week can get a bonus skill. If you are keen to just get all of the skills at once you can choose to pay about $5 for three copies of all 74 skills right away.
Other new features include voice chat and an NPC Guide which will make it easier to find new missions in the game.
Microsoft is paying close attention to player engagement with Phantom Dust. The more players, the sooner a new project for the series will be greenlighted.
See you on the battlefield.
