Factorio is getting a price increase in response to inflation

Image for Factorio is getting a price increase in response to inflation
(Image credit: Wube Software)

Games usually get cheaper as they age, but in a rare reversal, beloved factory management game Factorio will get a price bump on January 26, going from $30 to $35.

"This is an adjustment to account for the level of inflation since the Steam release in 2016," Factorio's developer announced on Twitter today (spotted by Kotaku). We reviewed Factorio after it shed its early access label in 2020, awarding it a very positive 91%.

Factorio has never followed the pack when it comes to pricing: It's also notable for a message on its Steam page which informs prospective players that the developer doesn't intend to discount the game anytime soon. Back in 2016, the company explained that the no sales policy is "about respecting the players who have already purchased the game" by not rewarding those who wait with discounts.

"The game is a price we find reasonable, and this is the deal," the studio member, Scott "Klonan" Woodhouse, said at the time. "If you think it is priced too high, then it is your choice to not purchase, and we hope that with enough time, and extra development, we will be able to convince you of its value."

Factorio fans have reacted positively to the price bump announcement. Granted, existing Factorio players are the only people not potentially affected by the increase, since they already own the game, but I enjoyed seeing their earnest expressions of affection for the 2D automation sim. 

"I'm totally behind you on this decision," one player tweeted. "You have made a great, timeless game and priced it right. It's among the best value I've gotten in gaming."

Even competing automation game Satisfactory offered encouragement on Twitter, exclaiming: "MAKE IT $40."

Inflation is high around the world right now, but has been particularly high in the Czech Republic, where Factorio studio Wube Software is based. According to the Czech National Bank, the country's 2022 average inflation rate—how much the cost of goods and services increased from the start of the year to the end—was 15.1%. For comparison, the 12-month US inflation rate at the end of 2022 was 6.5%.

The $5 being added to Factorio's $30 price represents a 16.6% increase, so it's similar to the cost of living increase the developers are reacting to.

It's not totally uncommon for games to get a price bump when they leave early access, but I can't immediately recall another time that a game got more expensive after launch. A few notable 2023 games, like Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, have already staked out $69.99 prices for the base version of the game.

Over in the hardware world, a space more susceptible to changing material costs, Meta did recently increase the price of its Quest 2 VR headsets by $100. Meta also announced the price increase before it took effect, which is a funny sort of phenomenon. It's like a reverse sale: Normally we wait for a price change to get a discount, but in these cases we're encouraged to buy the product now for a discount on its future price.

I haven't put much time into Factorio personally, but based on what I've heard and the effusive support from its fans, I have a feeling that $35 isn't too much to ask. For now, though, you can still get it for $30 on Steam. The price change will happen on January 26.  

Tyler Wilde
Editor-in-Chief, US

Tyler grew up in Silicon Valley during the '80s and '90s, playing games like Zork and Arkanoid on early PCs. He was later captivated by Myst, SimCity, Civilization, Command & Conquer, all the shooters they call "boomer shooters" now, and PS1 classic Bushido Blade (that's right: he had Bleem!). Tyler joined PC Gamer in 2011, and today he's focused on the site's news coverage. His hobbies include amateur boxing and adding to his 1,200-plus hours in Rocket League.

Read more
GTA 6
'You're not supposed to say this out loud!': Baldur's Gate 3 dev reacts to analyst who says some game makers 'hope' Grand Theft Auto 6 will cost up to $100 at launch
Valve soldier man on a pc.
2024 was Steam's 'best year ever' of users buying newly released games—but I wouldn't celebrate the end of the forever game era just yet
minecraft diamond level sword
Minecraft's never going free-to-play because as it stands it's 'the best deal in the world'
Factorio base screenshot with photo of Oppenheimer actor Cillian Murphy in front
The Factorio 'God Factory' was one of this year's greatest gaming feats: 'Most players will never find themselves hitting the limits of the game. We are.'
'S**t's about to get real': The first Steam sale of 2025 is live, and it's all about strategy games
London Bridge during snowfall
This is the coolest pricing gimmick I've ever seen: the temperature in London determines the price of this videogame
Latest in Sim
An ancient, angry stone mech from No Man's Sky's new Relics update
No Man’s Sky lets you unearth ancient, angry mechs in the astro-archaeology filled Relics update
Dwarf Fortress adventure mode art
After 23 years of making Dwarf Fortress, even its creator is still 'terrified' of drowning all his dwarves with aquifers: 'Part of the problem is we are just not good at videogames'
Tarn Adams, who cofounded Bay 12 Games with his brother Zach, talks about their single-player simulation game "Dwarf Fortress" during an interview at their home office in Poulsbo, Washington, west of Seattle, on December 9, 2022. - A cult favorite among indie game fans, "Dwarf Fortress" has been available for purchase on the Steam online store since December 6, a first for this title that has been distributed for free since its debut in 2006. The real-time management game, set in a medieval-fantasy world and involving overseeing a group of dwarves seeking to build a mighty fortress, has climbed to the fourth best-selling weekly title on Steam. (Photo by Jason Redmond / AFP) (Photo by JASON REDMOND/AFP via Getty Images)
Dwarf Fortress' creator is so tired of hearing about AI: 'Press a button and it writes a really sh*tty, wrong essay about something—and they still take your job'
Decorations in TCG Card Shop Simulator
TCG Card Shop Simulator finally adds the ability to decorate our stores, and suddenly all my profits are being spent on adorable Pigni posters
A person on a snowmobile riding a track in the forest in game Sledders.
Powder enthusiasts seem pretty pleased with new physics-based realistic snowmobile sim Sledders
Dean Hall at GDC 2025.
Outer space inspired DayZ's Dean Hall to become a modder and game developer, and now he's making a Kerbal successor called Kitten Space Agency
Latest in News
Lara Croft Unified Art
Tomb Raider developer Crystal Dynamics lays off 17 employees 'to better align our current business needs and the studio's future success'
A long bendy arm stealing money from people in a subway car
'You're a very long arm. You steal things. It's a comedy game,' explains developer of comedy game where you steal things with a very long arm
The heroes are attacked by monsters
Pillars of Eternity is getting turn-based combat to mark its 10th anniversary, and that means PC Gamer editors will soon be arguing about combat mechanics again
Image of Ronaldo from Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves trailer
It doesn't really make sense that soccer star Ronaldo is now a Fatal Fury character, but if you follow the money you can see how it happened
Junah beginning a battle in Metaphor: ReFantazio.
Today's RPG fans are 'very sensitive to feeling like they wasted time' when they die, says Metaphor: ReFantazio battle planner—but Atlus still made combat hard anyway
Image of Cersei Lanniser from Game of Thrones: Kingsroad Steam early access trailer
A new Game of Thrones RPG is coming to Steam today with a cast of 'familiar faces,' which is good because it's really the only way to tell it's a GoT game at all