The Outer Worlds 2 Devs Respond to $80 Price Backlash

Earlier this week following the Xbox Games Showcase, developer Obsidian Entertainment announced an official release date for its upcoming sci-fi RPG, The Outer Worlds 2. However, the excitement surrounding the game turned a bit sour when Microsoft announced that the sequel would be priced at $80, marking Xbox’s first game to receive the price tag increase after Nintendo first pulled the trigger. Obsidian has now responded to some of the backlash, addressing the game’s $80 price.

Unlike Gearbox Software which claimed ‘real fans’ will still buy Borderlands 4 at $80, Obsidian Entertainment had a more muted response. Speaking to GamesRadar at Summer Game Fest, The Outer Worlds 2 game director Brandon Adler was asked about the $80 price for the game.

Adler responded:

“We’re a game developer. We love to make games. We don’t set the prices for our games. Like, personally, as a game developer, I wish everybody could play my game, because that’s what I want out of this whole thing. But for the reasons and so like, why the $79.99 price point, you’d have to honestly talk to the Xbox folks.”

Much like Take-Two Interactive to Gearbox, Microsoft ultimately has the final say in the price point for developer’s games. This is a trend that will likely continue into Xbox’s future releases as well, as we’ll gradually start to see more and more $80-priced games released. The same can likely be said for other publishers who will no doubt follow suit after Nintendo had already set the new standard with Mario Kart World.

However, since The Outer Worlds 2 is also launching day one on Xbox Game Pass (giving Xbox and PC players a less expensive avenue to play the game), the $80 price might sting PlayStation owners the most.

The Outer Worlds 2 launches on 29 October 2025 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. Make sure you read up on everything we know about the game.

Source: GamesRadar