Preorders for Borderlands 4 are now available, and fans might be pleasantly surprised to find the standard edition priced at $70—lower than some had feared. The fourth installment in Gearbox's wildly popular sci-fi looter shooter series, Borderlands 4, takes players to a brand-new planet called Kairos, introduces a fresh crew of Vault Hunters, and promises "billions" of new weapons to wreak havoc with.

Last month, controversy erupted when Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford responded to a fan's concern about a potential $80 price tag on Twitter. His remark—"If you were a real fan, you'd find a way to make it happen"—drew widespread criticism, especially amid rising game prices. The backlash was so intense that Pitchford later issued an apology, but the damage to the game's reputation was already done.

Now that preorders are live, fans can breathe a sigh of relief—Borderlands 4 won't follow the $80 trend set by Mario Kart World. Instead, the standard edition is priced at $70. However, other editions come with higher price tags. The $100 Deluxe Edition includes exclusive cosmetics and the Bounty Pack Bundle, granting access to post-launch DLC content. The $130 Super Deluxe Edition adds even more, featuring extra regions, story packs, and playable characters.

It's unclear whether the $70 price was always the plan or a response to the backlash. Publisher 2K recently priced Mafia: The Old Country at $50, suggesting they may be experimenting with different pricing strategies. Regardless, Borderlands 4's lower price could win back fans who were turned off by Pitchford's comments.

While Borderlands 4 avoids the $80 mark, other major titles like The Outer Worlds 2 are embracing it. However, The Outer Worlds 2 will also be available on Xbox Game Pass at launch, softening the blow for subscribers. Borderlands 4, meanwhile, is set to launch on September 12 for Xbox, PlayStation, and PC.