If you’re a fan of Gearbox’s chaotic, loot-heavy looter shooter franchise, you’ve probably wondered about Borderlands 4 Game Pass availability long before the game’s official launch. After all, Game Pass has become one of the most cost-effective ways to play new AAA releases without dropping full price on day one, especially for Xbox and PC players who already subscribe to the service and are used to getting big franchise hits like previous Borderlands entries as part of their monthly fee. We’ve pulled together all the latest confirmed info, rumored details, and key things you need to know about Borderlands 4 Game Pass access before you decide whether to wait for a Game Pass drop or buy the game outright.
Current Borderlands 4 Game Pass Availability Status
As of the latest official updates from Gearbox and Xbox, there is no confirmed Borderlands 4 Game Pass launch date, but there are strong hints it could come to the service within the first 6 months of the game’s global release. Previous Borderlands titles, like Borderlands 3, came to Game Pass roughly 9 months after launch, but Xbox’s recent push to add more first and third-party big titles earlier has shifted fan expectations significantly. That timeline is far from set in stone, though. Xbox has been signing more third-party exclusivity and day-one Game Pass deals in recent years, and Gearbox has a long-standing positive relationship with the platform. Insiders close to the development team have leaked that talks about a Game Pass inclusion are ongoing, but the final decision will come down to launch window sales projections and licensing agreements. Some fans have speculated that the game could come to the service day one if Microsoft offsets a portion of the lost sales revenue, but that’s still unconfirmed as of now. We’ll update this section immediately the second any official Borderlands 4 Game Pass announcement is made, so you don’t have to go hunting for info across random forums and social media posts. It’s important to note that pre-order owners get exclusive in-game items and early access to the game’s open beta, so if you want to play as soon as it drops, waiting for a Game Pass release might not be the right call. If you have an active Game Pass Ultimate subscription, you’ll also get a 10% discount if you decide to buy the game directly through the Xbox store, regardless of whether it gets added to the subscription library later. That discount applies to both the base game and deluxe editions, so even if you don’t want to wait, you can save a bit of cash if you’re already a subscriber.
Perks of Playing Borderlands 4 via Game Pass
Even if it doesn’t launch day one on the service, there are plenty of benefits to playing Borderlands 4 through Game Pass when it does arrive, many of which make waiting for the Borderlands 4 Game Pass drop worth it for casual players. First, the obvious one: you don’t have to pay the full $69.99 retail price for the base game, as long as you keep your subscription active. For context, a standard Game Pass for Console subscription costs $10.99 a month, so even if you have to wait 6 months for the game to drop, you’ll pay less than the full retail price if you only subscribe for those months, plus you get access to hundreds of other games in the library during that time. Game Pass subscribers also get exclusive access to bonus in-game content for many titles, including custom character skins, weapon trinkets, and early access to DLC drops for Borderlands games in the past. For Borderlands 3, Game Pass members got a free exclusive Vault Hunter skin and a set of rare grenade mods that weren’t available to players who bought the game outright, so it’s safe to expect similar perks for Borderlands 4. If you play on both Xbox and PC, Game Pass Ultimate lets you pick up where you left off on either device thanks to cloud save support, which is perfect for players who switch between living room couch sessions and desktop play with friends. The full list of confirmed perks for Game Pass players includes:
Cloud gaming support is a huge plus for players who travel a lot, too. You can log into your account from any compatible device and pick up your playthrough right where you left off, no need to bring your console or laptop with you. That’s a huge upgrade for co-op sessions with friends who don’t live nearby, as you can jump in for a quick mission even if you’re away from your main setup.
Should You Wait for a Game Pass Release or Buy Borderlands 4 Outright?
There’s no one right answer for every player, but breaking down your own play habits and budget can make the choice between buying outright and waiting for Borderlands 4 Game Pass access a lot easier. If you’re someone who only plays a couple of new games a year, buying the game outright might end up being cheaper than paying for a Game Pass subscription for 6+ months while you wait for it to drop. That’s especially true if you don’t care about playing other games in the Game Pass library, as you’ll be paying for a subscription you don’t use for anything else. If you already pay for Game Pass Ultimate for other games, though, waiting for the Borderlands 4 drop will save you almost $70 that you can put toward other purchases or DLC. I’ve talked to a lot of long-time Borderlands fans who fall into this camp, and most of them are happy to wait a few months to play for no extra cost, especially since they’re already paying for the subscription for other big releases. That said, players who want to join co-op sessions with friends right when the game launches will have to buy the game, since you can’t play with friends who have the full release if you wait for the Game Pass version months later. Borderlands is a franchise that’s best played with friends, so if your whole group is picking up the game on launch day, waiting might mean you miss out on all the early fun and inside jokes that come with playing through the campaign for the first time together. Pre-order bonuses include a free golden weapon pack, a custom Vault Hunter skin, and 7 days of early access to the game’s first raid, so you’ll miss out on those limited-time items if you wait for the Game Pass release. The raid content is designed for endgame players, so if you’re someone who cares about being among the first to beat the hardest content in the game, buying outright is the only way to do that. One thing a lot of players forget is that games can leave Game Pass after a certain amount of time, too. If you buy the game outright, you’ll have permanent access to it even if it gets removed from the subscription library down the line. That’s a big deal for players who like to come back to games years after release to replay the campaign or try out new character builds.
How to Get Notified When Borderlands 4 Hits Game Pass
If you decide to wait for the Borderlands 4 Game Pass release, there are a few easy, free ways to make sure you don’t miss the drop the second it happens. First, you can add the game to your Xbox wishlist directly through the store on your console, mobile app, or desktop, and you’ll get a push notification and email as soon as it’s added to the Game Pass library. You can also set up price drop alerts for the game, which will notify you if it goes on sale even before it’s added to Game Pass, if you change your mind about waiting. You can also turn on Game Pass update alerts in the Xbox app, which will send you a notification every time new titles are added to the service each month. New Game Pass drops are usually announced on the 15th of every month, for release the following week, so you’ll get at least a few days’ heads up before Borderlands 4 hits the library. Official Gearbox and Xbox social media accounts will announce the addition at least a week in advance, so following those accounts is another good way to stay in the loop. The official Borderlands Twitter account usually posts about all major updates, so that’s the best place to get official, confirmed info first. Don’t fall for fake links or “early access” scams that claim to let you play Borderlands 4 on Game Pass before the official announcement, as these are almost always phishing attempts designed to steal your account info. If you see a post claiming the game is already on Game Pass, always cross-check it with the official Xbox website or social media accounts before clicking any links or entering your login info. There’s no way to get access to the game on Game Pass before the official announcement, so any posts claiming otherwise are fake. If you’re a PC player, you can also add the game to your Steam wishlist to get alerts if it goes on sale there, but keep in mind that Game Pass releases for PC are usually the same day as Xbox releases, so you’ll get the same alert through the Xbox app either way.
At the end of the day, the choice to buy Borderlands 4 outright or wait for its Game Pass release depends entirely on your play habits, budget, and how badly you want to jump into the next chapter of the Borderlands franchise on launch day. We’ll keep updating this guide as soon as new official info about Borderlands 4 Game Pass availability drops, so check back regularly for the latest updates. No matter which option you pick, whether you grab it day one or wait for the Borderlands 4 Game Pass drop, you’re in for hours of chaotic co-op fun, thousands of unique guns to collect, and the signature silly writing that makes the franchise so beloved.