- Borderlands 4 won’t cost $80, despite Gearbox CEO’s previous comments
- It will cost $69.99, meeting the recent standard for most games
- It comes after a plethora of comments from users suggesting they won’t purchase the game
Gearbox Software’s fourth installment in the Borderlands franchise is just months away from launch on September 12, and concerns of an $80 (or more specifically, $79.99) price tag have been put to bed.
Gearbox CEO, Randy Pitchford, announced on X that Borderlands 4 will not cost $80 but the current industry standard of $69.99 / £59.99 / AU$119.95 (or AU$109.95 on PC) – and it’s available for pre-order now for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (via Steam).
It comes after Pitchford’s comments on the game’s potential price tag; gamers were told that if they were “real fans,” they would find a way to buy Borderlands 4 if it were priced at $80, considering Nintendo and Microsoft’s shift to a $80 game price tag.
Unsurprisingly, that was met with a barrage of criticisms, and if I’m honest, those comments from a CEO weren’t a pretty sight, to say the least (although not very surprising to see).
However, this is a prime example of what happens when consumers voice frustrations and essentially vote with their wallets; in this case, long before the game has even launched, as a significant portion of the criticisms were gamers promising not to purchase the game due to Pitchford’s comments
Just don’t buy it. Talk with your money. If you’re a true fan, you won’t accept them pricing people out. This one’s 80 the next game will be 100 and continue to rise. Say no.May 20, 2025
While there wasn’t a price tag set in stone, Pitchford’s comments alone suggested that Borderlands 4 would follow the new $80 trend – and it appears as though the backlash has convinced 2K, Take-Two Interactive, and the seniors involved to stick with $69.99.
Unfortunately, that may not be the case with other games priced at $80, and Nintendo’s Mario Kart World is the best example. However, the Nintendo Switch 2’s launch is likely a significant factor in the new title’s high sales.
Analysis: Stop saying ‘there’s nothing that can be done’ and keep your voices heard
Even if there are future cases like Mario Kart World selling well at $80, at the very least, ensuring that CEOs and senior management of game companies are aware of complaints regarding egregious pricing is incredibly vital.
Like I’ve seen over the years, if there’s enough backlash and rejection of a move that fans don’t like, change is more often the answer from game companies.
I can almost guarantee that the response to the Gearbox CEO’s comments was a major factor in the $69.99 price tag – and frankly, some gamers could likely still turn away from a purchase as $69.99 is still frowned upon (and rightly so).
Nintendo’s move has already set the dangerous precedent I feared, but Borderlands 4‘s case should be enough of an indication that the more you vote with your wallet by stating displeasure and actively avoiding $80 games, the more we’ll see game companies take a step back…
