Xbox and Microsoft have had a troubling few years, with AAA commercial flops like Redfall, less-than-expected success with Starfield, and a fanbase unhappy that the console isn’t given the opportunities that PlayStation is, especially with handing over exclusives hand over fist, but Xbox Game Pass is a slight bright light for that same fanbase.
When it was released, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle seemed to be the antithesis of all of that. It was a timed exclusive to Xbox, it was received well by almost everyone who played it, with incredible review scores, and it was seen as a great adaptation of a franchise that was failing on the big screen. So why then, have so few played it?
It’s Available on Xbox Game Pass!
Satya Nadella, Microsoft CEO, was speaking at the second quarter earnings call for the company, and along with numerous unrelated-to-gaming factoids, revealed the performance of the go-to mascot for Xbox in 2024:
“We saw rave reviews of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, which has already been played by more than four million people”
It must be said, that four million people playing any game is no small feat, and at first glance, could be seen as a huge success, until you decide to look a little deeper into the story. Available on both PC Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass from day one release, four million players represent a lowly 12% of the total player base available, with Microsoft revealing in February 2024 that the total Game Pass Subscribers number was 34 million.
A year on, it’s likely that this has changed, with them pushing the growth of the platform’s biggest draw, including Game Pass on Smart TVs, Mobiles and more with the ‘This is an Xbox’ ad campaign, meaning that could be an even worse number.

Again, it is incredibly important to remember such a number of people playing a singular game is nothing to sniff at, and many developers would love to be able to say they’d sold that many units, but for such a number to be playing a flagship game of a storied IP present outside gaming could indicate a larger problem with the Xbox Game Pass model, rather than reinforcing its success. Especially when not all of those four million players would have been on the subscription service in the first place, with some opting no doubt to have bought it permanently.
Still, it’s inarguable that Indiana Jones and the Great Circle was a huge success comparatively – even when Todd Howard wanted to go a different direction with one of the biggest reasons for its quality – and it’s not over yet. With MachineGames reportedly working on story DLC as we speak, and the PS5 port still to come, it’s nothing short of a remarkable feat at a time when the gaming industry as a whole is struggling in every way.
For more Thumb Wars Gaming coverage, check out how some are going to miss out on a key feature in WWE 2K25, or how about everything confirmed for Rebel Wolves’ The Blood of Dawnwalker, the next-gen open-world action game?
Luke Addison is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Thumb Wars. Having previously been a part of multiple outlets over the years, including building an entire gaming team from nothing to something, he thought it best to forge his own path and answer only to himself. As likely to be found playing the latest game as he is in the kitchen relaxing (by cooking), he always brings the same bold and brash attitude to everything he does, with a heavy leaning on sarcasm and dry wit!