Xbox Backtracks On $80 Games Like ‘Outer Worlds,’ Is ‘Black Ops 7’ Next?

Perhaps the future where all big games are $80 is not so nigh after all. In a surprising move, Microsoft has just announced that it will reverse course and no longer price its fall selection of games at $80.

“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.”

The Outer Worlds 2 pricing itself at $80 was eye-rolling at the time, as the series may be good, but it’s a nascent franchise and not exactly Elder Scrolls or Fallout in terms of demanding such a premium. Obsidian also took the chance to announce the price cut in-character in the Outer Worlds universe:

“We 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 will not bring peace to the galaxy, or even your local colony, we assure you all that we are here to fight for all colonies in every way that we can.”

What’s notable here is that this is not just said to be Outer Worlds reducing its already announced price. Microsoft says “our full priced holiday releases,” plural, and you might know what the next question is going to be: What about Call of Duty?

Microsoft never announced a price for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 when it was revealed, nor have they opened up pre-orders. But it stands to reason that they would not make this statement about “full-priced holiday releases” and not include Black Ops in that selection. This is significant because it goes past the idea that it’s just Outer Worlds, a far, far smaller franchise getting this cut, but Call of Duty, one of the biggest properties in the world, and one that probably could command an $80 price. But it seems Microsoft doesn’t want to go there.

They don’t want to go there yet. They’re just talking about the rest of 2025, and after that? It’s anyone’s guess. Yes, we’ve started to see more $80 games crop up, sparked by Mario Kart World going first, but it is not yet industry “standard.” This fall’s Ghost of Yotei from PlayStation, for instance, a big launch for a pretty big franchise, remains $70.

Microsoft has enough pricing problems as it is. They have recently jacked up prices of all its hardware to absurd levels, making Series S consoles cost more than PS5s and Xbox Series X’s cost more than PS5 Pros in some instances. But yet again this is Microsoft waffling and seemingly to admit to yet another mistake in a series of many mistakes and instances of backtracking we’ve seen from the brand.

Now, we wait for the Call of Duty announcement, one way or the other.

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Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy