Anyone who’s spent dozens of hours grinding for Legendary weapons, laughing at Claptrap’s terrible jokes, and running co-op vault hunts with friends knows that Borderlands games are best enjoyed when you don’t have to jump through hoops to play with your crew. I’ve been a diehard fan of the franchise since the first entry dropped in 2009, so I’ve scoured every official interview, leak, and developer update for details on the next installment, including whether Borderlands 4 Xbox Game Pass support is in the works. This guide breaks down all confirmed info, rumored details, and practical tips to help you plan for the game’s launch without wasting money on unnecessary purchases.
What We Know About Borderlands 4 Xbox Game Pass Support Right Now
As of now, neither Gearbox Entertainment nor Xbox has released an official confirmation that Borderlands 4 will be available on Game Pass at launch or any time after. But that doesn’t mean it’s off the table entirely. Gearbox has not ruled out Xbox Game Pass support for Borderlands 4 in official interviews, which is a far cry from the hard “no” we’ve seen for some other high-profile third-party titles in recent years.
We can look at past franchise release patterns to get a pretty good idea of what to expect. Borderlands 3 launched in 2019 and joined Xbox Game Pass roughly two years later, in 2021. But the gaming landscape has shifted a lot since then, with more third-party publishers opting to put their games on subscription services day one to reach a wider audience. Take-Two Interactive, Gearbox’s parent company, has stated multiple times that it evaluates Game Pass inclusion on a per-game basis, weighing potential subscription revenue against direct game sales.
Borderlands is a franchise that thrives on a large, active player base, since co-op is one of its biggest selling points. Putting the game on Game Pass would instantly give it access to more than 25 million subscribers, making it way easier for players to find random teammates to run vaults with, or convince their friends who don’t want to pay full price to jump in. I’d be genuinely surprised if we don’t see the game hit the service within six months of launch, if not day one.
Perks of Getting Borderlands 4 Through Xbox Game Pass
If Borderlands 4 does launch on Game Pass, there are a ton of benefits to playing it through the service instead of buying a standalone copy, especially if you’re already paying for a subscription. I tested out Borderlands 3 through Game Pass when it launched on the service, and the experience was exactly the same as if I’d bought the game outright, plus a few extra bonuses I didn’t expect. Here are the biggest perks you can look forward to:
- No upfront cost to play the base game – you can jump in on launch day for just the cost of your monthly Game Pass subscription, which is way cheaper than the $69.99 standard price for new AAA titles right now.
- Access to all Xbox Cloud Gaming support for Borderlands 4, so you can play on your phone, laptop, or tablet even if you’re away from your Xbox console. I’ve used this feature to grind side missions on my lunch break before, and it works surprisingly well with a decent internet connection.
- Automatic access to any Game Pass exclusive in-game cosmetics or bonuses that Microsoft and Gearbox partner on for launch, which are usually only available to subscribers for the first three months after release.
- The ability to cancel your subscription later if you get bored of the game, instead of being stuck with a full-price copy you don’t play anymore. I do this all the time for shorter single-player games, and it’s saved me hundreds of dollars over the past few years.
There are some small downsides to keep in mind, of course. If the game leaves Game Pass down the line, you’ll have to buy a copy to keep playing your save file unless you pick up a discounted copy while it’s still on the service. Save files carry over if you buy the game after playing it on Game Pass, though, so you won’t lose all your progress if you decide to pick up a permanent copy later.
What to Do If You Want to Play Borderlands 4 on Launch Day Without Waiting for Game Pass
Not everyone wants to wait weeks or months to find out if the game is coming to Game Pass, especially if you’re a long-time fan who’s been waiting years for the next entry. If you want to jump in the second the game launches, there are still ways to save money without paying full sticker price.
First, if you have an active Game Pass Core (formerly Xbox Live Gold) subscription, you get a 10% discount on all pre-orders from the official Xbox Store. That cuts the price of the standard edition down to roughly $63, which is a small but nice saving. If you pre-order the deluxe edition, that discount is even bigger, since it applies to the higher base price of the special edition.
You can also play the game via shared games if a friend buys it and adds your account to their home Xbox, which lets you play all their owned games for no extra cost, as long as you don’t play at the same time as them. I do this with my younger brother for most big co-op releases, and it cuts the cost of new games in half for both of us. We usually split the price of the deluxe edition, and we both get access to all the bonus content as well.
If you don’t mind waiting a few weeks, most AAA games get a 20-30% discount within three months of launch, even if they don’t hit Game Pass right away. You can usually find even better deals on physical copies from retailers like Amazon or Best Buy, which often run sales for big new releases a month or two after they come out.
How to Stay Updated on Borderlands 4 Xbox Game Pass Announcements
There’s a lot of fake news and unconfirmed leaks floating around online right now about Borderlands 4, so it’s important to know where to look for reliable information. The best way to get official news first is to follow Gearbox and Xbox’s official social media accounts, as well as sign up for the Borderlands newsletter on the official website. The team usually sends out newsletter updates a few hours before they post announcements on social media, so you’ll get a heads up before most other fans.
Microsoft usually announces new Game Pass additions 1-2 weeks before they launch, so if you keep an eye on their weekly Game Pass update posts, you’ll know as soon as Borderlands 4 is added to the lineup. They usually announce day one additions a bit earlier, sometimes even during showcase events months before launch, so keep an eye on Xbox’s summer and winter showcase events for potential news.
It’s okay to follow leak accounts for fun, but always take any unconfirmed news with a grain of salt until there’s an official announcement. I’ve seen dozens of fake leaks over the past year claiming that Borderlands 4 is confirmed for day one Game Pass, and none of them have been backed up by official sources. Getting your hopes up for unconfirmed news will only lead to disappointment if the announcement doesn’t go the way you expected.
At the end of the day, we’re still waiting for official confirmation about Borderlands 4 Xbox Game Pass support, but all signs point to it being a strong possibility either at launch or shortly after. If you already have an active Game Pass subscription, it’s worth waiting a few weeks after the game launches to see if it gets added, instead of paying full price upfront. If you’re a diehard Borderlands fan that wants to play the second it comes out, pre-ordering with the Game Pass Core discount or sharing a copy with a friend is the most cost-effective way to go. Either way, the next entry in the Borderlands franchise is shaping up to be one of the best looter shooters of the decade, and I can’t wait to jump in and grind for Legendaries with friends no matter what platform or service I play it on.