Publisher 2K Games has revealed that Borderlands 4 will not be joining the small list of games, such as Mario Kart World and the upcoming Outer Worlds 2, that have moved up to the $80/£70 bracket.
The announcement follows controversial statements from Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford, a divisive figure. When asked about pricing, Pitchford said it wasn’t in his purview, but also added that “If you’re a real fan, you’ll find a way to make it happen,” before launching into a personal story about how he bought an $80 game as a teenager.
Unsurprisingly, the way Pitchford worded his message pissed people off, as they pointed out it seemed to imply you were only a real fan if you were willing to shell out more money, or would go to extremes to buy the game.
He would try to walk the statements back and clarify what he meant, but by then the damage was already done. His later explanation raised plenty of good points about the state of the industry, rising budgets, wages, development time etc. all coming together to justify the increased price-point. Of course, none of those points are new, but they remain vital talking points when it comes to the health and future of games, regardless of which side you fall.
That doesn’t stop Pitchford’s initial comments making him sound like an asshole, though.
Anyway, Borderlands 4 is now officially confirmed to be launching at $70/£60. Like most games, there will also be several more expensive options on the table, namely a £89.99 / $99.99 Deluxe Edition and a £119.99 / $129.99 Super Deluxe Edition, both of which add a bunch of digital content. Check out the fancy graphic below to see what’s going to included.