Now, however – according to journalist Jeff Grubb, who previously reported the aforementioned details – the game will be a multiplatform title. According to Grubb, who spoke about this during the recent GamesBeat Decides podcast, Mainframe has raised $23 million in funding, though it’s not from Microsoft, and as such, the game is no longer planned as an Xbox-exclusive, and will instead be a multiplatform title. Grubb also stated that, seemingly, “one was played off the other to try to increase the amount of money they might get.”

Microsoft has been an advocate of cloud gaming for some time now. Its Xbox Cloud Gaming service is offering access to dozens games in combination with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, and the Redmond-based giant recently signed a deal with Sega for bringing next-gen cloud gaming to the public as well. Rumours of a Hideo Kojima game that uses cloud technology being published by Xbox have also been doing the rounds – to read up on that, click through here.  

Currently, the developer is looking at gameplay mechanics “that can only work in a game that exists primarily on a remote server.” The game’s cloud-native nature means that all players can do anything regardless of their device but “certain tasks will make more sense depending on where you are playing.” An example provided was doing quicker tasks like farming or crafting when at work and undertaking missions like raids at home.

But that’s not all. Grubb notes that, “Key Xbox figures are also excited about Pax Dei because of its value in highlighting hurdles with cloud-based development. The hope among those at Microsoft is that Pax Dei can create an opportunity to set up best practices for this kind of game. And then other studios can run that same playbook in the future.”

One such developer that Xbox Game Studios is looking to apply this to specifically to Hideo Kojima and his rumored Xbox title. A deal between Kojima and the publisher hasn’t been finalized but Xbox is reportedly “lining up resources” to aid him. This includes the hiring of Kim Swift for overseeing cloud-native game development. Stay tuned for more details on Pax Dei in the meantime.