What just happened? The situation around Borderlands 4’s potential $80 price has seen outcry, outrage, and a very poorly-worded X post from CEO Randy Pitchford. But fear not: the game is now available for pre-order at $70 for the standard version.
With more new games costing $80, there were fears that Borderlands 4 would follow this trend. But the game has landed on Steam ahead of its September 12 launch with a $70/£60/€70 price tag.
That’s for the standard edition. There’s also a $100/£90/€100 Deluxe Edition that comes with the Bounty Pack Bundle – post-launch DLC consisting of new areas, gear, weapons, etc. – and a weapon skin.
Those who were likely never concerned about the game’s price might opt for the $130/£120/€130 Super Deluxe Edition, which adds the Vault Hunter Pack (new Vault Hunters, missions, regions, etc.) and cosmetics-filled Ornate Order Pack.
Details about when these post-release DLC packs launch will be revealed at a later date.
In May, Pitchford responded to an X post from a fan concerned about Borderlands 4 having an $80 price tag. The CEO said it was not his call, and that “If you’re a real fan, you’ll find a way to make it happen.” This obviously didn’t go down well, especially with the commenter, who noted that they had purchased every Borderlands-related release since 2009.
Pitchford previously revealed that Borderlands 4’s production costs were twice as high as Borderlands 3, “and there’s tariffs for the retail packaging” to consider. He added that it would ultimately be down to the publishing house to decide the price.
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
“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,” Pitchford told a PAX East audience. “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.”
Pitchford celebrated Borderlands 4 sticking to its $70 price in a recent X post. “They’re showing you, so please show them,” he wrote – he appears to be asking people to say thanks for not having to pay more by pre-ordering the game.
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. You can find links to pre-order Borderlands 4 PC and console versions on the store pages here:https://t.co/Pdpa8hoL9m
– Randy Pitchford (@DuvalMagic) June 16, 2025
Whether this was all a PR move designed to increase presales, as some have speculated, is unclear, though it wouldn’t be totally surprising.
One of the companies that has no qualms about introducing an $80 price tag is Microsoft. It recently announced that the first game to cost this much will be The Outer Worlds 2, which will also be on Game Pass from day one.
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