Summary
Following the recent acquisition of Activision Blizzard from Microsoft, a number ofHalotitles on Steam have increased in price in several regions. This also includesadditional titles from the Activision Blizzard librarywhere similar regions have been affected.
Microsoft went through multiple struggles to finally acquire Activision Blizzard. The Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) involvement even played a key role inMicrosoft’s effort to buy the publishing giantfor $69 billion. Despite a lengthy journey to acquire Activision Blizzard, Microsoft achieved its goal and is now home to multiple famous franchises in the industry. While the whole acquisition business is relatively fresh in terms of officially coming to a close, Microsoft is implementing changes to the prices of their famedHalotitles.
With a plentiful load of popular titles now joining the Microsoft umbrella, a number ofHalotitles have received adjustments in their prices on Steam. Chiefly, they concern theMaster Chief Collection, which includes affected installments likeCombat Evolved,Halo 2,Halo 3,Halo 4, andReach. The only titles that haven’t been affected by the price hike areODSTandInfinite(campaign mode), even though the former is a part of theMaster Chief Collection. While there are slight price changes for some of these video games, some have seen significant hikes within particular regions, including Argentina, Kuwait, India, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and more.
Upon further analysis, several statistics show incredible price gaps for some of theHaloinstallments in the franchise. For example,Halo: The Master Chief Collectionwas originally priced at ARS$3.999,00 for consumers in Argentina in September 2023. Now, the title is going for ARS$15.999,00. Moreover,Halo Wars: Definitive Editiondisplayed a similar behavior: ARS$1.999,00 last month, and now it’s ARS$7.999,90. OtherHalogames received price changes, though their numbers aren’t as massive compared to theMaster Chief CollectionandHalo Wars: Definitive Edition. This includes theSpartan AssaultandSpartan Striketitles that showed similar patterns, though the price gaps aren’t as wide.
Quite notably, a select few titles from theCall of Dutyfranchise have been affected as well. Other franchises, such asCrash BandicootandSpyro, were also affected, along withSekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
Reasons are unclear as to why the games are seeing an increase in price, though the action does come after the Activision Blizzard acquisition. Perhaps it’s meant to adjust certain price ranges for a number of games that are now a part of the Microsoft brand, but it doesn’t clarify why the changes were made. Nevertheless, these price hikes are important to consider for potential consumers, especially if they only affect a few regions. Now that there’s a wide range ofolder and newer franchises to dive back into for Microsoft, it’s possible that other titles could receive the same treatment. Until Microsoft comments on the price adjustments, players from the before-mentioned regions will have to settle for the new prices.
