Outer Worlds 2, like its predecessor, revels in commercialism with an intergalactic sci-fi future run by incompetent and heavy-handed megacorps, so it's only fitting that if you buy the $99.99 Premium Edition, Obsidian will have fun too. you.
“The Earth Directorate has found fault with you! Consumerism!” The pop-up reads, (thanks, u/disenchantor). “You're the reason our marketing works. Promotions and sales have tricked your mind, and you're more interested in buying the next big thing than financial planning.”
For the uninitiated, flaws in The Outer Worlds 2 are essentially backhanded features. You unlock them through regular tasks, like skipping a lot of dialogue, and they come with punishments appropriate for the crime. In this case, a permanent 15 percent XP boost with the added risk of dialog options being chosen randomly if the timer runs out.
So, if you choose to accept the consumerism benefit (and obsidian calling you a sign), you can look forward to:
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Vendor prices will be 15 percent cheaper.
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Everything you sell at the vendor will have a ten percent lower price.
“You are the reason for our marketing work”
Outer Worlds 2 isn't out until next week, so everyone playing it now is in Advanced Access, meaning they all Met with that big pop-up to buy the premium version. But this is Obsidian – they knew what they were getting into, and they're taking it in good spirits.
“This is the brand for Obsidian to make players want to buy the premium version,” said one such fan, u/KaitoSeishin. “Ironically, despite the themes [The Outer Worlds]I love this company.”
“Good ol' Obsidian and their classic sense of humor,” commented u/Murky_Historian8675. “One of the many reasons I love this developer.”
It's too funny to hate – u/Bullzi_09.
“I saw it, understood why it popped up, and have never felt so personally attacked in my life,” said u/RetroTheGameBro. “It's fun.”
What's more, it's a pretty decent perk, especially in the early game, giving you good discounts at every store you visit. And you can always offset the penalty by taking the Kleptomania flaw, which increases the value of your stolen goods by 100 percent. Just be careful that you will accidentally steal things randomly.
It's always fun to see Obsidian poke fun at the indomitable cogs of capitalism from within the confines of its own megacorp parent company, Microsoft, but as foot-in-mouth and kleptomania show, consumerism only scratches the surface of how sharp-witted and impish these foibles can be.
You can try them out for yourself on October 29, when The Outer Worlds 2 launches out of Advanced Access.
- issued
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October 29, 2025
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ / Intense violence, blood and gore, strong language
