The Outer Worlds 2 director, Brandon Adler, recently spoke up to clear the air about why the game is hitting the $80 price point on Xbox, a first for the platform. With Microsoft’s decision to raise game prices to $80 becoming the new norm, fans have been wondering who’s behind this bold move. Adler’s answer? Not Obsidian.
Back in May, Microsoft announced that starting this holiday season, new game releases on Xbox will cost $80. This price increase isn’t isolated; titles like Mario Kart World carry this tag, and Borderlands 4 will follow. Nintendo defended the higher cost by pointing to the value their games bring players, while Gearbox’s Randy Pritchford stirred the pot by suggesting “real fans” would pay the $80 price for Borderlands 4. He later softened his stance on social media, but the conversation about game pricing is heating up.
In an interview with GamesRadar, Adler clarified that Obsidian Entertainment does not decide the game’s price. “We’re a game developer. We love to make games. We don’t set the prices for our games,” he said. “Like, personally, as a game developer, I wish everybody could play my game, because that’s what I want out of this whole thing. But for the reasons and so like, why the $79.99 price point, you’d have to talk to the Xbox folks honestly.”
Adler’s comments came during Summer Game Fest 2025, during which he avoided airing any strong personal opinions but still made the point that the pricing decision lies with the platform holder, not the creators.
Yikes, $80 for a game. Is this the beginning of a new era where we’ll all have to tighten our wallets, or just a temporary bump? Who’s responsible, the developers crafting these worlds or the platform giants calling the shots? I’m curious what you think. Do you agree with Adler’s view that Obsidian is just along for the ride, or should developers push back on pricing?
