Furious gamers react as Xbox confirms its first ever $80 game

Gamers are up in arms after Microsoft confirmed that The Outer Worlds 2 will launch with a staggering $80 (£70) price tag, marking the first time an Xbox Game Studios title has reached that level.

The long-awaited sequel from Obsidian Entertainment, the developers behind Fallout: New Vegas and Pillars of Eternity, has been October 29, 2025 release date. However, what truly caught fans off guard wasn’t the new look into the game during the company’s recent showcase — it was the steep cost that was subtly revealed later on.

According to the game's Steam page, the base version of The Outer Worlds 2 will set players back $79.99, while a premium edition pushes the total up to a hefty $99.99. That’s €79.99 across Europe, or £69.99 in the UK.

This move has already sparked backlash in the gaming community, with many players accusing Microsoft of pricing fans out during an already tough economic climate.

One thread on Reddit aimed to sum up the frustration succinctly with the title: “Anti-capitalist RPG The Outer Worlds 2 is Xbox’s first $80 game, an obvious Game Pass marketing push, and proof that AAA gaming is truly cooked.”

Unsurprisingly, comments with additional takes rolled in fast.

The top user with the highest upvotes so far for their response wrote: “First game wasn't good enough for me to ever pay 80 for the second”.

To a further comment asking fellow users if the first was “good enough to pay $70 for the second?”, another replied: “Not at all. Boring and repetitive gameplay with a mediocre plot. The second game isn't going to be worth more than a 30 USD price tag. But MS wants to push Game Pass. That explains the ridiculous 80 USD launch price.”

Microsoft had previously announced that pricing changes were coming across its games and hardware, citing rising development costs and market shifts. In a statement to IGN back in early May, the company explained: “We understand that these changes are challenging, and they were made with careful consideration given market conditions and the rising cost of development. Looking ahead, we continue to focus on offering more ways to play more games across any screen and ensuring value for Xbox players.”

But many fans believe the price hike has less to do with cost recovery and more to do with nudging players toward Xbox Game Pass. The subscription service, with varying tiers — of which some gives members access to Xbox’s first-party games on launch day — now looks like a far more appealing alternative to shelling out for single-game purchases.

Another unavoidable insight is that pricing The Outer Worlds 2 for such a high price suddenly doubles as a great add for the Xbox Game Pass. After all, if you were only planning on playing the game once, paying just $20 to play over one month of the service’s ‘Ultimate’ tier, for example, is much lighter on the wallet than paying four times the price to own it.

That option might suit certain players, but frustration remains high among others — particularly those who prefer physical copies. Dedicated Xbox players will likely either be pushed more towards Game Pass, or hold off on playing the game altogether until it goes on sale further down the line.

With titles like Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, Fable, and Gears of War: E-Day expected to follow suit, the era of the $60/£50 game could soon be a distant memory.

While there are games like GTA 6 that the gaming community believes could definitely be worth that higher $80 price tag, with all the innovations and added value it’s looking to bring, players are saying The Outer Worlds 2 is nowhere near in the same league to justify that cost.