Four Weeks After a $3 Steam Sale, The Talos Principle 2 Increases Its Base Price from $29.99 to $39.99
Almost three years after launching in November 2023 at a budget-friendly price point, The Talos Principle 2 has received a permanent 33% price hike on PC. Croatian developer Croteam and publisher Devolver Digital have officially raised the puzzle sequel's standard price on Steam from $29.99 to $39.99 USD (and from €29.99 to €39.99 in Europe).
The $10 adjustment has caught PC players off guard not only because of the game's age, but also because of its recent promotional history. Just four weeks ago during the Steam Autumn Sale 2026, The Talos Principle 2 was featured with a massive 90% discount that brought its price down to an all-time low of $2.99.
Croteam Cites Rising Development Costs and Global Inflation
Rather than altering the storefront pricing quietly, the Zagreb-based studio published an official statement on Steam addressed to the "Citizens of New Jerusalem." In the announcement, the team pointed directly to macroeconomic pressures and ongoing support expenses across the industry.
"The cost of developing and supporting games has continued to rise significantly in recent years, as inflation has pushed costs up around the world. Taking this into account, we've made the decision to adjust the base price of the game. This wasn't a decision we made lightly, and we understand that nobody particularly enjoys seeing a price go up. We wanted to explain the reasoning behind the change rather than make it without context."
Croteam, official Steam community announcement
Regional pricing across Valve's storefront has been updated alongside the US dollar tier, bringing the UK base price to £35.99. Croteam emphasized that nothing changes for existing owners who already have The Talos Principle 2 in their Steam library.
Meanwhile, the game's major expansion, Road to Elysium (which launched on June 14, 2024, bundling the Orpheus Ascending, Isle of the Blessed, and Into the Abyss chapters), remains unaffected at its original $19.99 (€19.50) price tag.
Puzzle Editor, Steam Workshop, and The Talos Principle 3 Momentum
Across Reddit and the Steam discussion boards, community reaction has been split despite the game maintaining an "Overwhelmingly Positive" 94% user rating on Steam. While longtime fans argue that a 30-hour philosophical puzzle campaign built on Unreal Engine 5 was underpriced at $30 to begin with, others suspect the move is designed to reset the baseline for future seasonal discounts.
Under the old $29.99 retail price, a 90% discount dropped the game to $2.99. With the new $39.99 baseline, that same percentage discount shifts to $3.99, while standard 50% or 75% sales will now generate noticeably higher revenue per copy.
The pricing shift also caps off a transformative October 2026 for the entire franchise:
- October 1, 2026: Croteam released a major free update adding the official Puzzle Editor and full Steam Workshop integration, enabling players to build and share custom chambers and campaigns just like in The Talos Principle: Reawakened.
- October 8, 2026: The studio debuted the official gameplay reveal trailer for The Talos Principle 3 during the Triple-i Initiative showcase, driving a fresh wave of interest back to the previous entries.
- October 28, 2026: The base game's Steam price moved from $29.99 to $39.99 as community-made Workshop campaigns began expanding its replay value.
What About PS5 and Xbox Series X|S Players?
For now, the price adjustment announced by Croteam applies to Steam, whereas digital listings on the PlayStation Store and Xbox Store still reflect the $29.99 standard price in most territories. However, console players have another deadline looming on the horizon.
On PlayStation 5, The Talos Principle 2 is officially scheduled to depart Sony's subscription catalog next month as one of the 11 games leaving PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium on November 17, 2026, alongside Red Dead Redemption 2 and GTA V. Players looking to lock in a copy on PC or console before regional store prices align can still find discounted keys below the new $39.99 baseline.
My Take
In terms of pure craft and ambition, The Talos Principle 2 has easily been worth $40 since day one. When Croteam and Devolver Digital launched it at $29.99 back in November 2023, they practically undercharged for a thirty-hour Unreal Engine 5 puzzle masterpiece that puts most $70 AAA releases to shame.
Still, blaming global inflation for a $10 price hike on a three-year-old single-player game just weeks after selling it for $2.99 is tough to swallow with a straight face. Between the free Steam Workshop editor and the reveal of The Talos Principle 3 earlier this month, Croteam knows a wave of new players is about to revisit the series. Raising the ceiling to $39.99 ensures that future 50% or 75% Steam sales bring in a healthier margin. Give Croteam credit for announcing it openly instead of sneaking it through a silent SteamDB update, even if the timing feels far more strategic than inflationary.
SEO consultant for over 20 years and digital entrepreneur, Charles 'Grimtag' Ronchain is the founder of Pro-Gamer.gg, Retrocharting.com, and Gamescharting.com. A competitive gamer, streamer, and retro game collector, he has worked in the video game industry for over 15 years, notably as a consultant for leading game price comparison platforms. Passionate about real-time performance data and gaming technology, he analyzes competitive esports, gaming hardware benchmarks, and creator workflows on Pro-Gamer.gg with an authentic player perspective.
