A scorching potato: The financial system is shaky, AI is taking jobs, and persons are tightening their belts, which implies there’s by no means been a greater time for Microsoft to disclose its first $80 sport. The Redmond agency has confirmed that The Outer Worlds 2 shall be priced at $79.99 within the US, making it the primary Xbox Sport Studios title to undertake this unwelcome value level.
This does not come as a shock, after all. A number of weeks in the past, Microsoft introduced a variety of value hikes throughout its Xbox {hardware} and software program lineup, which it blamed on market pressures and rising improvement prices.
Along with dearer Xbox consoles, Microsoft mentioned it plans to standardize pricing for a few of its upcoming first-party sport releases at $79.99.
The primary of those titles shall be The Outer Worlds 2. It launches on October 29, 2025, falling into the vacation season interval that Microsoft mentioned can be when the value will increase arrive. Along with the $79.99/£69.99 normal model, there will even be a particular version that prices $100.
Microsoft is unlikely to be overly frightened concerning the blowback over the value. As an Xbox Sport Studios title, it should launch straight into the PC/Xbox Sport Cross service on day one. As is the case each time a AAA title lands on the service, anticipate to see loads of individuals take out subscriptions to play the sport as an alternative of handing over the retail quantity.
The primary Outer Worlds was a kind of video games that obtained largely good to glorious evaluations however did not set the world on fireplace. Unsurprisingly, some customers are evaluation bombing the unique sport on Steam in response to its sequel’s $80 price ticket.
Obsidian, developer of each video games, can also be launching Grounded 2 this 12 months. At $29.99, it is greater than 60% cheaper than The Outer Worlds 2.
It isn’t simply Microsoft pushing up the usual value of AAA video games. Nintendo acquired there first when it introduced that each first-party Change 2 sport would value $70 or $80 – Mario Kart World falls into the latter class.
A) Not my name. B) In case you’re an actual fan, you may discover a solution to make it occur. My native sport retailer had Starflight for Sega Genesis for $80 in 1991 once I was simply out of highschool working minimal wage at an ice cream parlor in Pismo Seaside and I discovered a solution to make it occur.
– Randy Pitchford (@DuvalMagic) Might 14, 2025
There’s been loads of anger over rising sport costs. It is led to some inside the business attempting to justify them, unsuccessfully. Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford, for instance, mentioned “actual followers” would discover a solution to pay money for Borderland 4 if it prices $80.
There have additionally been loads of rumors about GTA VI costing greater than $80. One analyst wrote that builders and publishers “hope” that the sport may value as a lot as $100 when it arrives, as such a transfer may embolden different corporations to begin charging much more for his or her video games.
Many corporations cite giant improvement groups and rising manufacturing prices as justification for value hikes. Nevertheless, it is price noting that three of the best-selling titles of 2025 up to now – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Break up Fiction, and Blue Prince – are all price range releases.
