Microsoft has confirmed that The Outer Worlds 2 will now launch at $69.99, reversing its earlier plan to price the game at $79.99. The change comes after sustained criticism from fans who pointed to rising costs in the AAA space and questioned the rationale behind the hike.

The price walk-back was first confirmed by a Microsoft spokesperson in an interview with Hungarian publication Tech2, who said the company had “reassessed its strategy based on community feedback and internal projections.” The statement did not acknowledge the backlash directly, but the timing suggests that consumer response played a key role. The Outer Worlds 2, developed by Obsidian Entertainment, is the sequel to the 2019 space-faring RPG. The game was scathing in its interpretation of greedy corporations, causing many fans to point out the obvious irony.

In early July, multiple listings for the game appeared on regional storefronts with a suggested price of $79.99. That would have marked a $10 increase over most current-gen titles and sparked confusion among fans, especially as Microsoft continues to push Game Pass as a core delivery method. While Xbox has not confirmed a release date, the revised pricing will apply across digital and physical editions of the game, including its launch-day availability on Game Pass.

Dear Galactic Citizens!⁰⁰We have received your SOS via skip drone about the pricing. As an organization devoted to making sure that corporations do not go unfettered, we at the Earth Directorate have worked with [REDACTED] to revise the price of The Outer Worlds 2. While this… pic.twitter.com/skOjxWBXIB

— The Outer Worlds (@OuterWorlds) July 23, 2025

The price correction comes at a time when several publishers are testing the limits of what consumers are willing to pay. In recent months, titles like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth have included premium tiers exceeding $100, while base editions continue to hover between $70 and $80. Microsoft’s decision to revert to the $69.99 price point may be seen as a response to a broader industry conversation around game value, post-launch content, and consumer expectations.

Obsidian and Xbox currently have the game set to release on October 29th of this year, and The Outer Worlds 2 is expected to be a major presence at future Xbox events. Until then, the publisher’s decision to scale back its pricing strategy may serve as an indication that, at least for now, there’s still a ceiling on what players will tolerate at launch.