Xbox has announced that titles like The Outer Worlds 2, which was previously available to preorder for $80, will no longer be released for that price, instead releasing at the current industry standard of $70. This will be applied to all games releasing this holiday season, with the company backtracking on plans to increase all first-party releases to the higher price point by that point this year.
Speaking with IGN, an Xbox Spokesperson stated:
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.
Players who already preordered The Outer Worlds 2 at the $80 previous price will be issued refunds and reimbursements through whichever storefront they preordered the game. Xbox has stated that these refunds may take a few days to process, with players being notified through the point of purchase.
The Outer Worlds 2 was the first title announced to be released by Xbox Games Studios that would carry the $80 price point, also releasing through Xbox Game Pass on Day 1. This price itself became more viable after Nintendo announced that the Nintendo Switch 2 launch title, Mario Kart World, was announced to be launching with the price only a few years after $70 became the industry standard.
At the time, Xbox cited “market conditions and the rising cost of development” as the reason for this move, one that was criticized by gamers, who also noted it as ironic given the anti-capitalist themes of the franchise. In addition, a potential Game of the Year title, Clair Obscure: Expedition 33, released to universal acclaim with a $50 price point, creating a bigger backlash against rising costs across the industry.
Sony, amid these rising costs, announced their first-party title Ghost of Yotei would release at $70 later this year, which muddied the waters further. Many expected PlayStation to embrace the price rise, given that they were one of the first companies to raise games from the PlayStation 4 era standard of $60, increasing PlayStation 5 titles at launch. Microsoft, for its part, resisted increased pricing until 2023.
Remember to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Bluesky to keep up to date on everything we have going on!
