Borderlands 4 Boss Claims “Real Fans” Will Pay $80 for Games

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Randy Pitchford, the boss of Borderlands 4, appears to believe that true fans might not mind a high price tag. Although services like Xbox Game Pass aim to make gaming more cost-effective, it’s still an expensive pastime due to console or PC costs and pricy games themselves. However, despite the financial investment, games offer significant value, often providing countless hours of enjoyment such as completing epic titles like Red Dead Redemption 2.

It’s becoming increasingly difficult to afford gaming, as prices continue to rise. For instance, Nintendo has recently announced that some Nintendo Switch 2 games, like Mario Kart World, will cost $80. This price hike follows a previous increase from $60 to $70 five years ago. Although there are still a few games like Mafia: The Old Country that retail for $60 or less, the norm for a new AAA game is now around $80. Xbox has also followed suit by raising prices not only on games but also on consoles and accessories. In the future, first-party Xbox games will cost $80 as well, although Xbox Game Pass still offers a good deal. So far, PlayStation hasn’t made any moves to increase its game prices, but fans are keeping an eye out for it.

Borderlands 4 Boss Creates Backlash After Saying “Real Fans” Will Pay $80 for Games

Stepping into the gaming realm, I can’t help but ponder about the upcoming titles that might be tagged with a $80 price tag. At this moment, it appears some publishers are playing coy, choosing to reveal pricing details for their fall releases only after they gauge the performance of other games. Take the hyped-up Borderlands 4, for instance. As of now, there’s no solid price or even pre-orders available for it. A passionate fan recently reached out to Gearbox head honcho Randy Pitchford, pleading not to make Borderlands 4 an $80 game. Well, ol’ Randy didn’t exactly mince words, stating that “real fans” would be more than willing to pay $80 for the game, sparking quite a stir. Pitchford went on to mention that as a kid, he managed to buy games despite earning minimum wage, which seems a bit off-kilter considering today’s economic climate.

1) It’s not up to me to decide.

2) If you’re truly passionate, you’ll manage to get things done. Back when I was just out of high school, working minimum wage at an ice cream parlor in Pismo Beach, my local game store had Starflight for Sega Genesis priced at $80. Despite the financial constraints, I managed to make it happen.

— Randy Pitchford (@DuvalMagic) May 14, 2025

It’s worth mentioning that Pitchford, the head of Gearbox, admitted he doesn’t have direct control over game pricing. As CEO, he might have some input, but ultimately, it could be decided by the parent company and publisher, Take-Two Interactive. Zelnick, Take-Two’s CEO, hinted at not sticking to a fixed $80 price point for all games and instead adopting flexible pricing strategies, like they did with Mafia. So, while Borderlands 4 might cost $70, we can’t predict the final price just yet. We should learn more about it this summer since Borderlands 4 is set to release in early September, suggesting pre-orders could be available soon.

Rewritten: It seems odd to suggest that fans should either work harder to afford a game priced at $80 when a new Xbox Series X already costs $600, or simply spend more money to demonstrate their loyalty. Whether Gearbox’s Pitchford will retract these comments or stick to them if the game indeed costs $80 remains to be seen.

Borderlands 4 releases on September 12th for Xbox Series X|S, PS5, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC.

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2025-05-20 22:07