Xbox has made a surprising U-turn on the pricing of The Outer Worlds 2, reversing its decision to sell the game at $80 and instead keeping the price at $70. This announcement comes after a significant backlash over the initial price hike, which was attributed to ‘market conditions and the rising cost of development.’ Xbox had even declared that The Outer Worlds 2 would be its first $80 game, following a trend set by Nintendo’s Mario Kart World release. But now, the company has decided to listen to its audience and bring the price back down, with refunds being offered to customers who had pre-ordered the game at the higher price point.
The decision to revert to the $70 price point has drawn mixed reactions from the gaming community. Some fans are pleased, citing that $70 feels like a more reasonable price for the game, while others have expressed frustration that Xbox would even attempt such a price hike in the first place. 
Nevertheless, Xbox’s swift backtrack has sparked conversations about how the industry sets its pricing standards and the influence of consumer pushback on pricing strategies.
While Xbox has now joined the ranks of other companies who are raising the price of their titles, it’s clear that the community’s response to this price increase played a role in this reversal. The overall sentiment is clear: gamers want value for their money, and they are willing to let their wallets do the talking when they feel prices are unfair.