They also wanted to draw new users by pre-selling Founders Packs — digital product packages that include closed beta access and a few in-game items, plus one of several tiers of additional items. And with a plan for rapid expansion to multiple countries — each with its own local payment methods — they also needed powerful defense against fraud.
Founded in 2014, Phoenix Labs is an independent video game studio with a 45-member development team, including a number of industry veterans who have worked together to build games earlier in their careers.
In 2017, Phoenix Labs published closed alpha, Founders alpha, and closed beta releases for their PC title Dauntless, a co-op action RPG. The latest release is available in more than 76 countries and regions — including Germany, France, and the UK — and they plan to publish an open beta release in 2018.
Through a streamlined integration, the teams built a customized digital storefront for Dauntless and were able to deliver measurably improved UX and functionality in these areas:
In the six months after the launch of their customized digital storefront with Xsolla, Phoenix Labs successfully processed over 98% of Dauntless payments without issues such as refunds, chargebacks, or fraud. A success rate this high tells us that players are getting what they expect and will likely continue to engage with the game over the long term.
And in the month following the integration, more than 51% of shopping carts created through Xsolla’s white-label game key widget were converted to purchase, among both new and already active players. The stage had been set for Dauntless’ open beta to be more than successful.