The Outer Worlds 2 Price Slashed to $69.99 Due to “Market Conditions” Microsoft Offers $10 Pre-Order Refunds

The Outer Worlds 2 is slated to launch on October 29, and originally, the RPG was meant to cost $79.99. Now, though, Microsoft has walked that back, with The Outer Worlds becoming the first Xbox Game Studios game to walk back the $80 price paradigm. The new pricing was announced by Obsidian on X and in a statement to IGN, when a Microsoft representative said that “We’re focused on bringing players incredible worlds to explore, and will keep our full priced holiday releases, including The Outer Worlds 2, at $69.99 – in line with current market conditions.” This statement confirms that Microsoft will not follow Nintendo down the $80 AAA price strategy for the time being, but as PC and console game prices continue to creep up, it’s likely that Microsoft will revisit the $80 AAA game. Xbox Game Studios will be issuing $10 refunds for those who have already pre-ordered The Outer Worlds 2 via the platform they ordered it on.

It’s unclear exactly which “market conditions” prompted the price change, but there was a fair amount of backlash to the initial pricing when the $80 pricing was revealed. Current speculation suggests that the price change likely came as a result of a combination of stiff competition in the form of games like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which largely fill the same sci-fi choices-matter niche and slow pre-orders for The Outer Worlds. The community response to the announcement has largely been a mix of positivity and cynicism, with some fans criticizing the move as a manipulative marketing tactic more than a genuine attempt to win over gamers.