The Outer Worlds 2 Is Microsoft's First Confirmed $80 Game

Microsoft has confirmed The Outer Worlds 2 costs $79.99 successful the U.S. — it's the archetypal Xbox Game Studios crippled to marque the jump.

The Steam leafage for Obsidian’s role-playing sequel revealed the $80 fig for the modular edition. Microsoft had confirmed it would travel Nintendo’s pb and marque the leap with its games successful clip for the vacation season. It seems The Outer Worlds 2 volition footwear disconnected this caller Xbox video crippled pricing operation erstwhile it comes retired connected October 29, 2025, but it's worthy noting that arsenic an Xbox Game Studios title, it volition of people motorboat consecutive into the Game Pass subscription work connected time one.

Explaining the price-hike determination successful May, Microsoft told IGN: “We recognize that these changes are challenging, and they were made with cautious information fixed marketplace conditions and the rising outgo of development. Looking ahead, we proceed to absorption connected offering much ways to play much games crossed immoderate surface and ensuring worth for Xbox players.”

Much of the manufacture has been discussing and gradually implementing terms increases successful caller years, with AAA crippled prices jumping from $60 to $70 successful conscionable the past 5 years, and Nintendo going with $80 for Switch 2 exclusive Mario Kart World and immoderate different Switch 2 Edition games.

Last month, Gearbox main Randy Pitchford sparked a backlash successful responding to a instrumentality who had expressed interest astir the imaginable of paying $80 for Borderlands 4, saying: “if you’re a existent fan, you’ll find a mode to marque it happen.”

During a caller PAX East panel, Pitchford offered his thoughts connected video crippled pricing. "On 1 level, we've got a competitory marketplace wherever the radical that marque those choices privation to merchantability arsenic galore units arsenic imaginable and they privation to beryllium cautious astir radical that are price-sensitive," helium said. "There are immoderate folks who don't privation to spot prices spell up, adjacent the ones deciding what the prices are.

"There's different folks accepting the world that crippled budgets are increasing, and there's tariffs for the retail packaging. It's getting gnarly retired there, you guys. Borderlands 4 has much than doubly the improvement fund than Borderlands 3. More than twice. So the information is, I don't cognize what the terms is going to be.”

Given The Outer Worlds 2 costs $80, we tin presume the just-announced Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 volition too, though it doesn’t person a merchandise day yet. 2026’s Gears of War: E-Day, the caller Fable, and the adjacent Forza volition surely besides outgo $80.

For more, cheque retired everything announced astatine Xbox Games Showcase June 2025.

Wesley is Director, News astatine IGN. Find him connected Twitter astatine @wyp100. You tin scope Wesley astatine [email protected] oregon confidentially astatine [email protected].