“They have been a very supportive partner,” says creative director Tor Frick.

Microsoft has snagged a number of upcoming indie games to launch as console exclusives for Xbox of late, and Neon Giant’s upcoming role playing game The Ascent, another upcoming Xbox console exclusive game, looks incredibly promising. The game’s setting, its cyberpunk aesthetic, its impressive visual fidelity, and its combat have caught the eye of quite a few since it was revealed, and people are looking forward to getting their hands on the game.

But of course, as a game that’s launching exclusively for Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S where the console market is concerned, there is the question of why it chose to not release for PlayStation as well, as there always is in such cases. We recently posted the question to The Ascent creative director and Neon Giant co-founder Tor Frick in an interview, who talked to us about how Microsoft approached the developer early in the game’s development.

“Microsoft approached us early in development, and they were very impressed with what we had even back then, which of course was a huge deal for us as a brand new indie studio, and we have worked together ever since,” he said. “They have been a very supportive partner, and when the chance came to be on the next-gen Xbox consoles we were thrilled at the opportunity. Working with the latest hardware is always exciting!”

The Ascent is due out some time in 2021 for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC, but doesn’t currently have a concrete launch date. Our full interview with Frick will be going live soon, so stay tuned for that.