After the initial announcement that The Outer Worlds 2 would be $80 fans levied blame on Xbox, but today, they’ve had a change of heart.
After months of fan backlash facing video game base pricing, it appears the overlords who make that game pricing have decided to go back on their word (in a good way) and reduce the price back down. The problems started when The Outer Worlds 2 direct happened in June, and at the end, the sequel was revealed to a new game price point of $80. That doesn’t just cover The Outer Worlds 2. Xbox has confirmed that all of its titles will remain at $70 for the foreseeable future, as stated in a recent announcement to IGN.
At that time, Xbox stated that the decision to price the title at $80 was based on “market conditions and the rising cost of development,” and fans were not pleased with the revelation. On forums like Reddit, fans bound together to reject the new price point, suggesting the reason was to funnel people to the Xbox Game Pass subscription model. Interestingly enough, this isn’t the first time fan backlash has led to a price reduction this year with AAA-developed titles.
In May 2025, Gearbox and Randy Pitchford faced massive backlash when Pitchford claimed, “If you’re a real fan, you’ll find a way to make it happen. My local game store had Starflight for Sega Genesis for $80 in 1991 when I was just out of high school, working minimum wage at an ice cream parlor in Pismo Beach and I found a way to make it happen,” when it was only rumoured Borderlands 4 would cost $80. Gearbox then reversed course and said the base version of the title would be launched at the $70 price point.
In a statement on BlueSky, Obsidian in The Outer Worlds 2 flavour text said, “We have received your SOS via skip drone about the pricing,” and details that they’ve brought the price back to the $70 price point. While Obsidian does note this won’t bring peace to the world or the galaxy, the price will revert. While the statement is well-intentioned and contains comedic elements, fans have commented below the post with skepticism, suggesting that Obsidian wouldn’t have reduced the price if pre-order numbers were good.
Although Borderlands 4, and The Outer Worlds 2 will be released at the $70 price point, Nintendo is full speed ahead on releasing their titles for $80, with Mario Kart World and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition launching at the inflated pricing. While fan backlash staves off some company decisions made with [REDACTED] like The Outer Worlds 2, the $80 price on new titles is still approaching rapidly.
