Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford Reveals 'Borderlands 4' Budget Is More Than Double 'Borderlands 3'
Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford shed more details about the factors that will go into the price of Borderlands 4 including the fact that the game’s budget was more than double that of Borderlands 3.
Pitchford made headlines when he revealed he did not know what the suggested retail price for Borderlands 4 would be and that setting the price was not his call. Furthermore, he noted that real fans would find a way if the game happened to be priced at $80.
Pitchford shared a promotional video for Borderlands 4 and the game releasing on Nintendo Switch 2, writing on X, “I am so very excited for the Nintendo Switch 2 and I am even more excited to bring Borderlands 4 to this incredible, magical machine!”
In response an individual stated, “Randy, this game better not be 80 dollars. Don't take that risk, alot of gamers aren't gonna pay 80 dollars and feed this notion of constant increase of the price tag You are the CEO, you have some say with the price when it comes to your publisher.”
Pitchford replied, “A) Not my call. B) If you’re a real fan, you’ll find a way to make it happen. My local game store had Starflight for Sega Genesis for $80 in 1991 when I was just out of high school working minimum wage at an ice cream parlor in Pismo Beach and I found a way to make it happen.”
He shared more details in a clip to X from his appearance on the Borderlands 4 Developer Panel at PAX East 2025.
Pitchford was asked, “What will the game’s price be?” He answered, “The price? Really? Now? I’ll tell you the truth. I don’t know. And that is the truth.”
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He continued, “I’ll hit it. I’ll hit it straight on. And it’s an interesting time, right? We’ve got on one level a competitive marketplace where people want to, where people that make those choices want to sell as many units as possible and they want to be careful about people that are price sensitive. So, there’s some folks that don’t want to see prices go up, even the ones deciding what the prices are.”
“There’s other folks accepting the reality that game budgets are increasing and there’s tariffs for the retail packaging. And like, it’s getting gnarly out there, you guys,” he added.
Pitchford then revealed, “Borderlands 4 has more than twice the development budget than Borderlands 3. More than twice. So, the truth is I don’t know what the price is going to be. I do know that we will be opening pre-orders soon and that will be when the price is set.”
Pitchford then shared he and his company’s philosophy, “Here’s the philosophy that we have whatever the price is. We’re entertainers. Yes, we want to get more resources so we can make bigger and better games. There’s a reason why Borderlands 4 is so awesome. It’s because you guys showed up and supported Borderlands 3. And we had the budget. So we could more than double the budget and feel confident in that. And that’s awesome. When the revenue comes in we can spend it to make bigger and better games.”
“As artists we want everybody to have it,” he continued. “We want to make it as easy as possible for everybody to enjoy what we’re creating. So it’s a weird thing. But the fundamental philosophy we want people to buy it so we have the resources to make more, but we want everyone who buys and plays a Gearbox game to feel certain that they got the better end of the bargain whatever the price is that they got the best value. And that’s the philosophy that we live by.”
“So we’re going to have a price set soon. And it might be the new price that like Nintendo and Microsoft have led with. It might be that we stay back. It’s going to be the people at the publishing house that decide that. And if it is going to be cheaper then maybe we’ll sell you that minimap that you guys want and we’ll develop later. How bad do you want that? $10? I don’t know. I’m just kidding. Or am I? I’m just kidding. Or am I? I’m just kidding. Or am I? I don’t know. We’ll know soon. I think it’s going to be fine whatever it ends up being. I think it’s going to be amazing whatever it is. Borderlands is f***ing amazing and it’s worth it.”
What do you make of Pitchford’s revelation that the budget for Borderlands 4 is more than double that of Borderlands 3?
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