Borderlands 4 Pre-Orders Go Live at $69.99—Here’s What You Get and Why the Price Matters
Borderlands 4 is officially up for pre-order, and after weeks of back-and-forth, we finally know the price tag: $69.99. Not $79.99, as was once feared. If you’ve been following the pricing saga, you’ll want to keep reading—there’s more to unpack, including what you’ll get for pre-ordering and what this means for the gaming industry.
- Borderlands 4 standard edition set at $69.99
- Pre-order bonuses and higher-tier editions revealed
- Fan Fest event with new gameplay and trailer details
- Background on the pricing debate and developer statements
- Release date and platforms confirmed
Borderlands 4 Price Locked at $69.99
After a rollercoaster of rumors and heated debates online, 2K Games has settled the matter: Borderlands 4 will launch at $69.99 for its standard edition. Earlier, there were talks that the game might follow the trend set by Mario Kart World and push its price up to $79.99. But those worries are gone, at least for now.
Pre-Order Bonuses and Special Editions
If you decide to pre-order the standard edition, you’ll get some cool extras: a Vault Hunter skin, a weapon skin, and a skin for the brand-new Echo-4 Drone, all bundled with the full base game. For those who want more, there are Deluxe and Super Deluxe editions available at $99.99 and $129.99, each with their own set of digital goodies. Curious what’s inside? Here’s a sneak peek:
Borderlands Fan Fest and New Gameplay Reveal
On top of the pricing news, 2K Games has announced the Borderlands Fan Fest happening on June 21. This online event promises fresh gameplay footage and a story-focused trailer. Fans can tune in to the official Borderlands Twitch channel at 12:30 p.m. PDT / 3:30 p.m. EDT to catch all the action live.
The Pricing Debate: What Happened?
So why all the fuss about the price? Ever since Mario Kart World was revealed at $79.99, game prices have been a hot topic, with some fans blaming Nintendo for starting the trend and others worried about what this means for future releases. During a recent State of Play, Gearbox Software’s Randy Pitchford addressed the cost issue at a PAX East panel, sharing that Borderlands 4’s development costs were double those of Borderlands 3. He explained:
“On one level, we’ve got a competitive marketplace where the people that make those choices want to sell as many units as possible, and they want to be careful about people that are price-sensitive. There are some folks who don’t want to see prices go up, even the ones deciding what the prices are…There’s other folks accepting the reality that game budgets are increasing, and there’s tariffs for the retail packaging. It’s getting gnarly out there, you guys.”
A) Not my call. B) If you’re a real fan, you’ll find a way to make it happen. My local game store had Starflight for Sega Genesis for $80 in 1991 when I was just out of high school working minimum wage at an ice cream parlor in Pismo Beach and I found a way to make it happen.
— Randy Pitchford (@DuvalMagic) May 14, 2025
Just days later, Pitchford’s comments on X (formerly Twitter) added fuel to the fire. When a fan pushed back against the idea of an $80 price tag, Pitchford replied that the decision was “not my call,” and added that “if you’re a real fan,” you’d find a way to make it happen even at $80. This didn’t sit well with many in the Borderlands community.
Final Price: A Win for Gamers?
Now that the price is set at $69.99, Pitchford has returned to X to celebrate with fans, posting: “The big news: No price increase for Borderlands 4. Standard Edition launches not at $80, but at $69.99! They’re showing you, so please show them.” For many, this feels like a small victory, but it also raises questions about how other publishers might handle pricing in the future.
Release Date and Platforms
Mark your calendars: Borderlands 4 drops on September 12 for Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5, and PC (Steam and Epic Games Store). Nintendo Switch 2 owners will have to wait until 2025. Only time will tell if this “cheaper” price point will boost pre-orders or set a new standard for AAA releases.
