Paradox apologises further for price hikes, offers free games to compensate

Paradox Interactive recently stuck its foot right in it, increasing games prices which resulted in quite the backlash from users. Just take a look at the Europa Universalis 4 Steam page and you’ll see that the review score has tanked since this whole controversy started. Paradox responded fairly quickly, rolling back the new valuations (at the start of the Steam Summer Sale, no less) and promising refunds or reimbursements to those who paid higher prices. Now Paradox has detailed its compensation plan for all and sundry.

‘After exploring options with our sales partners, we’ve come to the conclusion that partial refunds (as in, refunding the price difference) aren’t practically possible’, explained the Paradox senior community manager Escher. ‘Instead, we will gift everyone who purchased any Paradox product between May 17 and today (including pre-orders of Steel Division: Normandy 44 made before May 17), in any currency except USD (where prices were not changed), a free copy of a full PC game or two DLC, as a gesture of goodwill’.

Furthermore, Escher shared what full games would be on offer. Those caught out by Paradox’s price hike can choose from the following: Stellaris, Hearts of Iron IV, Crusader Kings 2, Europa Universalis IV, Magicka 2, Tyranny 2, or any two of the following DLCs from HoI IV: Death or Dishonor, EU IV: Third Rome, CK II: Monks and Mystics, Stellaris: Utopia or Tyranny: Tales from the Tiers.

If you were to own all of the above already, then Paradox will credit the equivalent value in ‘giftable keys’. Of course, you’ll need to prove you have purchased one of these items on Steam by filling in the following form to claim your freebies. If you purchased your games on GOG or the App Store, you can claim from those platforms instead. However, if you purchased your games through Origin or Twitch, you get nothing, as the prices were not increased on those digital storefronts. 

You have until August 9 to claim your freebies, but Escher has warned that games/DLC will not be sent out immediately. Paradox does hope to have this all done-and-dusted by September 30. Free games, are free games, right?

For more details on the price rollback, head on over to the Paradox forums.