The Outer Worlds 2’s €80 Price Is Microsoft’s Call, Not Obsidian’s—and Here’s Why That Matters

The Outer Worlds 2 announcement stopped me in my tracks, but not just because of new factions or that signature irreverent tone. It’s the freshly-outed €79.99 price tag-and the way Obsidian’s own director is already distancing himself from the business side-that has the gaming community talking. If you’re eyeing this sequel, here’s what the price drama really means and why the devs want you to know they’re not pulling the levers here.

The Outer Worlds 2’s Price Controversy: Microsoft Decides, Obsidian Responds

• Microsoft, not Obsidian, is setting the premium price-€79.99/€86—for The Outer Worlds 2.
• Game Pass subscribers get the game day one, sweetening the deal for those already in Xbox’s ecosystem.
• The sequel promises a darker (but still madcap) tone, with stronger narrative direction under Leonard Boyarsky.
• Premium Edition (€86) bundles in expansions, artbook, and soundtrack—but is that added value or just PR gloss?

Feature	Specification
Publisher	Microsoft / Obsidian Entertainment
Release Date	October 29, 2024
Genres	Sci-fi RPG, First-person, Adventure
Platforms	PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S (Game Pass day one)

Let’s get the basics out: The Outer Worlds 2 drops October 29 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. The €79.99 asking price for the standard version and €86 for the Premium Edition have raised some eyebrows, especially with inflation hitting the traditional €70 sweet spot. Obsidian director Brandon Adler wanted fans to know (as he told GamesRadar), “We’re a game developer. We love building games. It’s not us who sets our game prices.” He couldn’t be clearer that Microsoft is the one making the call here. That’s not just developer deflection—it highlights the bigger power shift happening as publishers like Microsoft and Sony normalize €80 AAA pricing across the board.

I’ve watched Obsidian move from fiercely independent RPG darlings (think Pillars of Eternity, New Vegas) to becoming a Microsoft studio. This kind of corporate-driven pricing isn’t exactly a shock, but the studio’s open admission feels rare and refreshingly candid. It’s easy for gamers to assume devs are complicit in every big pricing change, but the reality is: once you’re under the Xbox banner, business decisions get made over your head. Adler adds, “Personally, as a developer, I wish everyone could play my game… but when it comes to why it’s €70 or €80, you’d have to ask Xbox.” It’s the sort of transparency I wish more studios showed, especially when AAA price hikes are becoming the norm.

For Game Pass subscribers (now over 35 million, and growing), the sticker shock is less relevant: you get day-one access, which remains one of the strongest arguments for Xbox’s subscription model. But for PlayStation and PC players, or anyone who likes to actually own their games, €80 is a lot to swallow, especially for a single-player RPG in 2024.

Darker, Not Duller: Obsidian Leans Into the Absurd (and the Gritty)

Price aside, Obsidian is talking up some tonal shifts. One of the criticisms leveled at the first Outer Worlds was its tonal whiplash: punchy, satirical writing sometimes clashing with the bleakness of dystopian corporate space. Brandon Adler admits they’ve listened, and that co-director Leonard Boyarsky is steering the story into darker territory this time around—though he’s quick to say they’re not ditching absurdist humor entirely. “You’ll notice there’s a slightly less absurd and more serious tone—that’s mostly Leonard. That’s his style, and it’s more emphasized here… We still wanted plenty of humor and absurd flair in interactions with all the factions.”

That sounds promising if, like me, you were hoping for a sequel with less Saturday-morning-cartoon and more biting satire. It’s a delicate dance: leaning into the darkness, but not losing the franchise’s identity. Obsidian claims they’re “less absurd, way more unhinged”—and honestly, that’s a combo I’m here for, assuming it lands right. Introducing new factions—Protectorat, Ascendant Order, and Aunt’s Choice—will hopefully give fresh angles to the faction-based storytelling the first game nailed (mostly).

Premium Edition Perks or Just Pay-to-Play Extras?

The €86 Premium Edition includes two (not-yet-detailed) post-launch expansions, a digital artbook/soundtrack, and in-game bonuses like the “Corporate Appreciation Pack”. This sort of pre-release upsell is par for the course now—see Starfield, Assassin’s Creed, you name it. Does this add real value? If you’re committed to the franchise, sure, locking in DLC isn’t a bad deal. For everyone else, it’s a reminder that season passes are the new normal, and that base game price increasingly only gets you through the opening act. If you’re out of patience for DLC drip-feed, this trend doesn’t do you many favors.

So, What Does This Mean for Gamers?

First: Don’t blame Obsidian for the price hike—they’re just as much along for the ride. Second: If you’re already in the Xbox ecosystem, the industry’s push to Game Pass gets you in the door without the premium upfront sticker shock (assuming you’re okay with the subscription model). Third: If you worry about how much actual game comes with that initial €80, you’re right to ask hard questions—especially as DLC and expansions become intertwined with launch offerings.

As someone who’s watched RPG pricing creep up alongside the scope (and publisher control) of AAA releases, I’d love for Obsidian to keep delivering that smart, player-first design they’re known for. But corporate decision-making looms larger than ever. With the promise of a sharper narrative voice and a world that’s less cartoon and more cutting satire, The Outer Worlds 2 has the potential to be worth its price—just don’t expect the developers to have had the final say in what you pay.

TL;DR: Obsidian’s Big RPG Sequel Is Framed by Microsoft’s Price Tag

The Outer Worlds 2 launches October 29 at €80—but that number comes straight from Microsoft, not Obsidian. Game Pass subscribers dodge the fee, but everyone else is looking at the new normal for AAA RPGs. The sequel promises sharper satire and more narrative focus, but don’t expect devs to decide your wallet’s fate—that’s pure publisher muscle. The real test will be whether the content justifies the cost, or if this is just corporate pricing creep in action. Watch this space.