Preorders forBorderlands 4have gone live, and it looks like fans won’t have to shell out as much money for the game as initially thought, with the standard edition coming in at $70. The fourth mainline entry in Gearbox’s zany sci-fi looter shooter franchise,Borderlands 4will bring players to a new planet named Kairos and introduce a new band of Vault Hunters, along with “billions” of unique new guns to tear up foes.
Last month, controversy was sparked surroundingBorderlands 4followingGearbox CEO Randy Pitchford’s commentsto a fan who was voicing their concern about a potential $80 price tag for the game on Twitter. “If you were a real fan, you’d find a way to make it happen,” Pitchford said, drawing the ire of gamers who’ve been worried about rising prices of video games since Nintendo’s Switch 2 reveal during which the console’s first-party launch title,Mario Kart World, was stamped with an $80 asking price. Game studios and notable figures around the industry chimed in to criticize Pitchford’s comment, which eventually led to him issuing a somewhat formal apology on the matter several weeks later.
Now,Borderlands4pre-orders have gone live, and those who were displeased with Pitchford’s attitude toward rising game prices might breathe a sigh of relief.Borderlands 4won’t befollowing in the footsteps ofMario Kart Worldafter all, and will stick with a $70 asking price for the standard edition of the game. Of course, the other editions of the game will cost more. The $100 Deluxe Edition will include several in-game cosmetics, as well as the Bounty Pack Bundle, which provides access to new areas, missions, and bosses that will be added to the game via post-launch DLC.Borderlands 4’s Super Deluxe Edition will cost $130 and include everything the Deluxe Edition offers, plus more exclusive cosmetics, two entire regions of the map, and the Vault Hunter Pack which adds two new story packs and playable Vault Hunter characters.
Borderlands 4’s Standard Edition Will Cost $70
It’s unclear whether $70 had always been the plan forBorderlands 4, or whether the Pitchford drama caused publisher 2K to avoid the jump to $80 in an effort to earn back some good will towards a franchise that’s already seen its reputation take a hit after the underwhelming release ofBorderlands 3back in 2019. Recently, 2K alsoset the price of its smaller-scopedMafia: The Old Countryto just $50, so it could be possible that $70 was always the plan forBorderlands 4. While it can’t be known, it would be interesting to see whetherBorderlands 4manages to sell better thanks to its lower price, as many disgruntled gamers declared they wouldn’t shell out $80 for the fourth mainlineBorderlandsgame, especially after Pitchford’s comments.
WhileBorderlandsfans may have dodged the $80 bullet, other big upcoming games seem to be leaning in. Xbox just revealed itsfirst-ever $80 title inThe Outer Worlds 2, though the game will also be available at no additional cost as part of Xbox Game Pass at launch. As forBorderlands 4, it’s set for its release later this year on September 12 for Xbox, PlayStation, and PC.
