If you’ve been scrolling through gaming forums or checking retailer listings ahead of the next Vault Hunter launch, you’ve probably seen dozens of players complaining that Borderlands 4 too expensive for what’s currently being offered. I still have my original Borderlands 2 vault hunter keychain hanging on my backpack, so I was just as shocked as everyone else when I saw the pre-order price tags pop up last month. I’ve logged more than 700 total hours across all Borderlands titles and spinoffs, so I know exactly how frustrating it is when a franchise you love raises its launch price. This guide breaks down why the price is set where it is, what you get for your money, and how to avoid paying full price if you don’t want to.
Why Do So Many Players Think Borderlands 4 Too Expensive?
The biggest source of frustration for long-time fans is the $10 base price hike from Borderlands 3’s 2019 launch, when standard editions of most AAA games still cost $59.99. Borderlands 4’s standard edition is now priced at $69.99 across all platforms, with deluxe and collector’s editions going for $99.99 and $149.99 respectively. Many players argue that the jump doesn’t feel justified, especially after Borderlands 3 launched with a long list of bugs and server issues that took months to fix.
Another common complaint is that a lot of the “exclusive” pre-order content feels like stuff that used to be included for free in past titles. Things like weapon skins, character cosmetics, and extra in-game currency were often unlockable through gameplay in earlier Borderlands games, not locked behind a $30 upgrade paywall. The base game’s $10 price hike from the 2019 Borderlands 3 launch is the most common point of frustration for long-time franchise fans.
It’s not just Borderlands, of course. Most major AAA publishers have shifted to a $69.99 base price for new releases over the past three years, citing rising development costs for new generation consoles. But that doesn’t make the sticker shock any less real for players on a tight budget.
What’s Actually Included in Each Borderlands 4 Edition?
Before you decide if the price is too high, it helps to know exactly what you’re getting for your money. Gearbox has released full details for all three available editions, and there’s a pretty big gap between what’s included in the standard vs deluxe versions:
- Standard Edition ($69.99): Base game only, no extra content, no early access. You get access to all core campaign, side missions, and multiplayer co-op modes on official launch day.
- Deluxe Edition ($99.99): Base game, 3 days early access, 8 exclusive character skins, 12 weapon cosmetics, a $10 worth of in-game Eridium currency pack, and the full post-launch season pass with 4 major story DLC drops scheduled over 18 months.
- Collector’s Edition ($149.99): All Deluxe Edition content, plus a 7-inch physical Vault Hunter statue, a 100-page hardcover art book, a steelbook case, and exclusive profile badges and emotes for in-game use.
A lot of players see the $99.99 price tag for the deluxe edition and immediately write it off as a ripoff, but if you actually break down the value, it’s not as bad as it sounds. The season pass alone is usually priced at $39.99 when sold separately, so the Deluxe Edition only costs you $10 extra for all the pre-order bonuses and early access.
I bought the deluxe edition of Borderlands 3 when it launched, and I ended up getting more than 120 extra hours of gameplay out of the four DLC packs, so the upgrade paid for itself pretty quickly. But if you only play through the main campaign once and never touch post-launch content, the standard edition is almost always the better pick.
5 Easy Hacks to Cut the Cost of Borderlands 4
You don’t have to pay full price to play Borderlands 4 close to launch, even if you want the deluxe edition content. I’ve used all these tricks to save money on new game releases over the past five years, and most of them take almost no extra effort:
First, check for subscription discounts if you buy digital. If you have an active PlayStation Plus or Xbox Game Pass subscription, you can often get 10-15% off all digital pre-orders and new releases for the first two weeks after launch. That cuts the standard edition price down to around $60, matching the old AAA price point most players are used to.
Second, use retailer reward points to cover part of the cost. Stores like GameStop, Amazon, and Best Buy all have reward programs that let you earn points on every purchase, which you can redeem for credit toward new games. I had $22 worth of Amazon points saved up from past purchases, so I only paid $48 for my standard edition pre-order.
Third, wait for the first post-launch sale. Most major retailers run 10-25% off sales for new games within 3-4 weeks of launch, especially if sales are slower than expected. You’ll only have to wait a few weeks, and you can save $15-$20 with almost no effort.
Fourth, split the cost with a friend using console family sharing. Both Xbox and PlayStation let you share digital game purchases with one other account on your primary console, so you can split the price of the standard or deluxe edition 50/50. That brings the cost down to $35 per person for the standard edition, which is a steal.
Finally, skip the collector’s edition unless you actually want the physical merch. Never pay full price for a collector’s edition unless you are 100% sure you want the physical merch, as these usually drop in price by 30% within a month of launch. Most of the extra digital content in the collector’s edition is just cosmetic, so you’re not missing any actual gameplay content if you skip it.
Is Borderlands 4 Worth the Asking Price for You?
At the end of the day, the value of the game depends entirely on how much you’re going to play it. If you’re a casual player who only beats the main campaign and moves on to the next game, $70 is probably too much to spend right now. You’d be better off waiting 6-12 months for a sale, or picking up the game of the year edition when it launches with all DLC included for the same $70 price tag.
But if you’re a long-time Borderlands fan who plays with friends regularly, logs hundreds of hours grinding for legendary weapons, and enjoys playing post-launch DLC, the price is absolutely worth it. Gearbox has confirmed that the main campaign is around 22 hours long, with more than 30 hours of side content, plus endless replay value from co-op runs and build experimentation. Most players who log 50+ hours in any looter shooter will get more than enough value out of the standard edition launch price.
I got to play 3 hours of the preview build last month, and I can say that the gameplay improvements alone feel worth the price hike for me. The gunplay is smoother, the character skills are way more creative, and the new world design is far more detailed than anything in Borderlands 3. I already have three friends lined up to play through the campaign co-op on launch day, so I know I’ll get at least 100 hours out of the game before the first DLC even drops.
At the end of the day, whether you think Borderlands 4 too expensive comes down to your play style, how much you love the franchise, and how soon you want to jump into the action. You don’t have to force yourself to pre-order if the price feels out of reach, because there are tons of ways to save money if you’re willing to wait a few weeks or split the cost with a friend. If you do decide to pick it up at launch, use the tips above to cut the cost and get the best possible value for your money.