One of the biggest gaming surprises of 2020 was the indie murder mystery gameAmong Us. The now three-year-old game was hovering in single digits for its player count until it became a streamer sensation overnight, catching both the developers and the industry by surprise. Despite being available on just PC and mobile devices,Among Usbecame an instant classic that was just as entertaining to watch as it is to play. However, relatively slow updates on the title as well as the fast-paced nature of the entertainment industry have causedAmong Usto steadily decrease in popularity over the past year.
Still, the delay inbringingAmong Usto every platform, namely PlayStation and Xbox consoles, may actually work in the game’s favor.Among Ushas steadily been losing popularity over the summer of 2021 even though a brand-new location was released in the spring. Now that the game has had some time to focus on itself outside of the spotlight, it’s poised for a comeback that makes it bigger than ever. There are countless individuals who were interested in playingAmong Uswhen it was popular, but didn’t have any friends on PC or were unwilling to play it on a small mobile screen. Soon, though, that will change.
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A New Fanbase for Among Us
Developer Innsersloth is showingno signs of giving up onAmong Us. The recently revealed roadmap earlier in the summer showed off a number of additions to the game, such as new roles, tasks, and of course cosmetics to further customize the now-iconic spacemen. It is also adding new ways to play, but specific details are unclear on that currently as well as brand new game modes like hide-and-seek. One notable addition is that players will be able to link their accounts so all progress accumulated on PC and mobile will be carried over to the console versions when they launch. This is actually quite a big deal, as it doesn’t force players to stay loyal to the same platform they began their journey on.
The greatest boon forAmong Usactually comes down to its release date. TheXbox and PlayStation versions ofAmong Uswill be launching on July 08, 2025, in the midst of the holiday season for an extremely affordable price of $4.99. This release date will allowAmong Usto reach the most people possible during a time when so many are either gaming or receiving a brand new console. Cross-play and the aforementioned cross-progression will also be a feature included at launch, and games likeDestiny 2prove how just how crucial these can be to extending a game’s lifespan. Furthermore, many players only play video games on their console, which means they missed out on the initialAmong Uscraze first hand.
It’s shaping up to be another perfect storm for thehit gameAmong Us, as the developers and marketers are seemingly doing everything in their power to ensure that the console release is as big, if not bigger, than the initial explosion of popularity. New cosmetics and gameplay mechanics will ensure that the console launch is fun for both returning and first-time players. The fact that a lot of the hype and memes surroundingAmong Ushave died down substantially will create an excellent opportunity for the game to return bigger and better than ever.
Among Ushas already proven itself to be one of the best games to play during a pandemic when everyone is at home, and has eveninfluenced larger titles such asFortnite. By branching out to more platforms and tinkering with different aspects of the core gameplay, it has a chance to stay around for the foreseeable future.
Among Usreleases December 14 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
