- To add insult to injury, after the Bethesda studio shutdown, Xbox has decided to silently raise the prices of a few of its games on select Steam regional stores.
- This includes some of the company's major games, such as Sea of Thieves, Halo Wars, Gears 5, and more.
- Gamers understandably are angry at the company and calling the move ridiculous.
If there is one persistent thought I’ve been walking around with, it is that 2024 is a bad time to be a gamer. What seemingly began with Sony inciting the Helldivers 2 controversy turned into the company locking out games from certain regions. Unfortunately, it now seems that Team Green has joined the circus.
Spotted earlier by a keen Redditor, it’s confirmed that Xbox Games Studios has silently raised prices for a few of its titles on Steam. Over eight of the studio’s games have been affected, with titles like Sea of Thieves, Gears 5, Halo Wars, and many more games being thrown into the mix.
Rejection of Regional Pricing?
Sea of Thieves, a game with an average price of Rs. 1399 in India, has jumped to a staggering Rs 3,499! Gears 5 has received the same treatment, with its price rising from Rs. 899 to a whopping Rs. 2699. That is an increase of 150 and 200% respectively! Gamers in multiple countries have been affected similarly, with prices rising across the board without just cause.
As mentioned above this includes many victims like India, the Philippines, Mexico, South Africa, and more. Interestingly, this price change happened in all the countries without notice. This sudden change has naturally shocked gamers like me, with us all asking one pressing question: Does Xbox even care about regional pricing?
It’s understandable that this ordeal has angered a lot of people. Folks took to Reddit to voice their displeasure. Many are calling Xbox’s decision a ridiculous one driven by greed. Some even pointed out that games like Hellblade 2 cost more in India than they do in the U.S.
A Soulless Quest for Money
It seems no amount of money in the world is enough for Xbox right now. After the company shut down multiple Bethesda studios, it has now shifted its attention to the very consumers that feed it. So, if the loss of Tango Gameworks wasn’t enough, I now have to pay obscene amounts of money to play a five-year-old game.
To add insult to injury, recent rumors suggest that Xbox might even be considering hiking prices for the Xbox Game Pass and introducing a new tier. My far-fetched theory is that the rumors and price increase might be connected somehow. But I suggest taking that with a grain of salt.
You Either Die a Hero……or Become Ex-Box
Sifting through the dumpster fire of what Xbox is right now, I can’t help but be reminded of the Snake game. For those unaware, this nifty game centered around a snake eating everything in sight. The more it ate, the bigger it got until it eventually ate itself.
As a company that has grown along with me, it’s a shame to see Xbox become what it has. I could reference innumerable movie dialogues about something that became what it swore to destroy. But let’s be honest: Xbox didn’t die a hero, did it?
Well, we know what lies ahead, then. If there’s a silver lining in this situation, it’s that I can finally finish my backlog. Because you know, I can’t afford any new games.
What do you think about this covert raising of prices? Cry your heart out in the comments below!
