Outer Worlds Developer Issues Apology to Players Over Unavailable Free Upgrade for Sci-Fi RPG

It’s not just any choice; it’s Spacer’s Choice. This tongue-in-cheek slogan has been a constant companion to The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition since its rocky launch in 2023. Now, it’s back in the spotlight following another unexpected hiccup. Players who owned the original game were promised a free upgrade, but Obsidian Entertainment had to backtrack, citing “various entitlement restrictions and backend issues.”

The trouble began when the original version of The Outer Worlds was delisted this month. In response, Obsidian announced that anyone who owned it would receive a free upgrade to the Spacer’s Choice Edition on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. This was a welcome change, especially since players had to shell out an extra $10 for the upgrade when the next-gen version first launched.

“If you have at least the base edition of The Outer Worlds in your digital library* before May 27th, you will be receiving the Spacer’s Choice Edition free,” the studio stated on Steam on April 30. “That’s right, free! This applies to all platforms where the Spacer’s Choice Edition is available (Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG). After May 27th, The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition will be available for $39.99.”

Obsidian even mentioned that while they couldn’t make any promises, they were looking into extending this offer to players who owned the physical version of the game on PS4 or Xbox One. With the deadline approaching, many players rushed to buy the base game to snag the upgrade, especially since the Spacer’s Choice Edition had been patched since its troubled debut and included all the DLC.

However, it turns out that players with the base version on PlayStation and Xbox can’t upgrade after all. “The Spacer’s Choice Edition upgrade was meant to express our gratitude to anyone who purchased The Outer Worlds base game by providing a free upgrade to the improved version,” the studio later clarified on X.

In short: it feels like a scam. With so many in the industry facing layoffs, Obsidian is taking a significant risk by handling this situation poorly. They’re jeopardizing something far more valuable than $15: their fans’ trust.

The studio continued, “Unfortunately, due to various entitlement restrictions and backend issues, we weren’t able to execute this as smoothly as we intended, and our players are understandably upset. If you purchased the base game on Xbox One or PlayStation 4 between 4/30 and 5/27, or if you’re experiencing issues with the upgrade, please reach out to our support team, and we’ll do our best to make it right. We apologize for the frustration this has caused.”

What the resolution will be remains uncertain. Will there be refunds for those who just bought the base game? Complimentary DLC? A free $10 upgrade? So far, the apology hasn’t been well received. “Simply put: scam,” one user commented on X. Another suggested, “Make the DLC free for a week, and everyone’s happy. You could do that and gain a lot of goodwill, but you prefer to apologize and make excuses.”

On a positive note, some players are receiving the DLC for free. “To their credit, they emailed me a code to get Spacer’s Choice that also activated the DLC for the original version,” shared one player who had previously been unable to access the PS5 version. “Now I have both full versions.”

It’s important to note that this issue hasn’t affected Steam users, only those on PlayStation and Xbox. This is particularly puzzling since Obsidian is a first-party studio, even though The Outer Worlds was initially published by a now-defunct Take-Two label. In many ways, this bizarre situation perfectly encapsulates the sci-fi RPG’s unique brand of corporate satire.