If you’re a long-time Borderlands fan, you know that the franchise’s preorder perks are often some of the most fun, useful extras in the looter shooter space, and the borderlands 4 preorder bonus offerings are no exception. We’ve spent weeks combing through official Gearbox announcements, retailer listings, and playtest leaks to pull together every confirmed detail about what you get for preordering any edition of the game. We’re also breaking down which tiers are worth your money, depending on how often you play, whether you care about cosmetics, and if you want to access all post-launch content. No fluff, no misleading info, just the facts you need to make the right choice for your budget.
What’s Included in the Standard Borderlands 4 Preorder Bonus?
The standard edition preorder bonus is available to anyone who reserves a copy of the base game, no extra cost required, for both physical and digital copies across all platforms. You’ll get three core digital items that you can use right from the start of your playthrough. First is the Pandora Pioneer weapon skin set, which adds a custom neon orange and purple camo to every starting weapon type, plus a matching skin for your first melee weapon. The luck boost from the Claptrap bobblehead increases your chance of finding rare and legendary weapons by 15% for your first 10 hours of play, which makes grinding for early game gear way less frustrating. You’ll also get a 30-page digital art pack with unreleased concept art of the new game world, playable characters, and enemy types. All standard preorder bonuses are accessible as soon as you boot up the game for the first time, no need to complete the opening tutorial or reach a certain level to claim them. Even if you only plan to play the base game without any DLC, the standard borderlands 4 preorder bonus is completely free with your preorder, so there’s no downside to locking in your purchase early if you know you want the game.
Deluxe and Collector’s Edition Preorder Perks Breakdown
If you’re planning to sink dozens of hours into Borderlands 4 and want access to all post-launch content, the deluxe or collector’s edition will probably be a better fit for you than the standard edition. The deluxe edition includes all the standard preorder perks, plus four exclusive digital extras:
- 72 hours of early access to the full game, so you can start playing three days before the official global launch date
- The "Vault Hunter VIP" pack, which includes 4 exclusive character skins, 10 weapon trinkets, and a custom vehicle wrap for your outrunner
- Season pass access to all 4 post-launch story DLCs, plus 2 exclusive endgame raid missions that only season pass holders get for the first 6 months
- A permanent 10% XP boost for all characters on your account, that stacks with other in-game boost items you earn or buy
The deluxe edition costs $30 more than the standard edition, which is a better deal than buying the season pass separately later, since the season pass alone usually costs $40 for Borderlands games. The collector’s edition adds physical extras on top of all the deluxe digital perks, like a 12-inch statue of the new playable Vault Hunter Zane’s successor, a hardcover 100-page art book, a full-size replica of the new vault key featured in the game, and a vinyl record of the official soundtrack. I missed out on the Borderlands 3 collector’s edition because I waited three days to order, so I’m not making that mistake this time—collector’s editions for the franchise usually sell out within a week of being listed.
Retailer-Exclusive Borderlands 4 Preorder Bonus Offers
On top of the official edition-specific perks, most major retailers are adding their own exclusive bonuses to convince you to buy from them instead of a competitor. You won’t find these limited retailer borderlands 4 preorder bonus items anywhere else, so it’s worth checking what each store offers before you commit. GameStop preorders get an exclusive "Rakk Rider" character skin for the new beastmaster class, plus a physical cloth map of the new game world, the planet of Hephaestus. Amazon preorders come with a free copy of Borderlands 3: Director’s Cut for anyone who doesn’t already own it, plus a digital code for a free month of Xbox Game Pass or PlayStation Plus Premium, depending on your platform. Steam preorders get an exclusive Borderlands 4 profile theme and a set of 15 animated emojis for Steam chat. These retailer-specific bonuses do not overlap with the standard or deluxe edition perks, so you can get both as long as you preorder from the right place for the extra you want. If you don’t care about any of the retailer exclusives, preordering directly from the platform store (PlayStation Store, Xbox Store, Steam) is the safest bet to avoid any shipping delays or code issues on launch day.
Is Preordering Borderlands 4 Worth It for the Bonus Content?
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the different borderlands 4 preorder bonus tiers, but you don’t have to buy the most expensive one to get good value. For casual players who only plan to play through the main story once, the standard edition preorder is more than enough—you get the free bonus items, and you don’t have to spend extra on DLC you might never play. If you’re a regular Borderlands player who usually plays through the endgame and buys all the DLC, the deluxe edition will save you money in the long run compared to buying the base game and season pass separately. Most of the preorder exclusive cosmetic items will never be sold as separate DLC, so if you want to customize your Vault Hunter with rare skins, preordering is the only way to get them. That said, if you’re on the fence about whether you’ll even like the game, it’s totally fine to wait for launch reviews before buying. You’ll miss out on the preorder bonuses, but you won’t waste money on a game you don’t end up playing. I usually only preorder games I know I’m going to sink 100+ hours into, and Borderlands is one of those series for me, so I’m going for the deluxe edition for the early access and season pass.
At the end of the day, the borderlands 4 preorder bonus options are designed to fit every type of player, from casual fans who just want the base game and a few extra skins, to diehard collectors who want the physical statue and all post-launch content. Take a few minutes to think about how much time you usually spend on Borderlands games, whether you care about exclusive cosmetics, and if you want to play the post-launch DLC before you pick your tier. No matter which option you go with, make sure you lock in your preorder before the official launch date to claim all the exclusive perks, because they won’t be available after the game is released. I’m already counting down the days until I can jump back into the chaotic Borderlands universe with my friends, and I don’t want to miss out on any of the fun early access content, so I’m locking in my preorder this week.