Great Scifi RPG Stumbles Into Really Dumb Free Upgrade Debacle

Obsidian Entertainment’s latest misstep has once again turned the satirical tagline “It’s not the best choice, it’s Spacer’s Choice” into a bitter reality for fans of The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition. The game, which suffered a rocky launch in 2023, is now facing another hiccup when the promised free upgrade for owners of the original title has been withdrawn.

The chain of events began when the base version of The Outer Worlds was delisted this month. In response, Obsidian pledged that anyone who owned the game would receive a complimentary upgrade to the Spacer’s Choice Edition on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. This offer was particularly enticing because the next‑gen port originally required an additional $10 for players who had already purchased the base game.

“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 announced on Steam on April 30. “That’s right, free! This is for all platforms that the Spacer’s Choice Edition is on (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 also hinted that, while no guarantees could be made, it was exploring ways to extend the offer to owners of physical copies on PS4 or Xbox One. With the May 27 deadline looming, many players rushed to purchase the base game in hopes of securing the upgrade, especially after the Spacer’s Choice Edition was finally patched and now includes all downloadable content.