Grounded is one of two of Obsidian Entertainment’s gigantic successes of the year. First, there was the launch of Grounded itself, and the critical acclaim that it received, landing on an 82 on Metacritic for its Xbox Series X|S version, then, a little more than a month after the 1.0 release of Grounded and the studios’ next game arrived in the form of Pentiment. Pentiment was itself a huge critical success, netting a dozen perfect scores on Metacritic, and an 86 Metacritic score. Now, a huge player engagement milestone has been reached by the former title.
Speaking on the Friends Per Second podcast, Xbox Game Studios Boss, Matt Booty revealed that the game had connected with in excess of 13 million players since the game went into Early Access several years prior, combined with its recent 1.0 launch. Speaking about the growth in Xbox’s First Party Studios and the differing metrics of success, Booty stated,
Another example, even within a studio would be something like Grounded right. Grounded, I think we’re at over 13 million players as of today, with the full 1.0 release. A very small team, of about 20 people, and how you get a game done with that small of a team inside of Obsidian, well, you use all of the tools that Obsidian has got – that RPG tooling, all the things that they’ve put together
Coupled with other titles such as Sea Of Thieves as a fellow live-service title under the Xbox Game Studios umbrella, and the continued growth of titles through Xbox Gamepass, Microsoft is continuing to see success with each release, whether it be something with a more traditional delivery model like Halo, Forza, of Gears Of War, games like Sea Of Thieves, and Grounded, or games such as Pentiment that might only be possible with the easy access of it through Gamepass.
“The world is a vast, beautiful, and dangerous place – especially when you have been shrunk to the size of an ant. Explore, build and survive together in this first-person, multiplayer, survival adventure. Can you thrive alongside the hordes of giant insects, fighting to survive the perils of the backyard?
Uncover the mysteries while playing through the story!
How did you wind up so small? Who did this to you? How do you go home? These are all answers you will uncover as you play through the story.
Solo or with friends – anytime!
You can face the backyard alone or together, online, with up to three friends. Not only that, but with the Shared Worlds feature, you can continue to play in your shared world even if the original host is not on, with all your progression saving!
Nowhere is safe – not even your base!
Creatures can be found roaming the yard in a multitude of environments, such as the depths of the pond, the caverns of the termite den, and even the sweltering heat found in the sandbox. You can even attract them to different places in the yard by activating the MIX.R devices. However, the more you interfere with the creatures in the yard, the higher the chance that they come knocking at your own door, so you better prepare.
Play true to your playstyle!
Use the in-game customization systems such as Mutations and Milk Molars to activate the bonuses and perks you want for your character. Not only that, but craft and upgrade your armor and weapons to give your character the stats and advantages you need in order to take on the perils of the backyard.
It’s time to go big, or never go home!”
Grounded is available now on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC
