Pre Ordering Games Why You Should Probably Stop Doing It In 2025

In 2025, the gaming industry stands at a crossroads. With increasingly complex development cycles, aggressive marketing campaigns, and growing player skepticism, one long-standing habit is due for serious reconsideration: pre-ordering games. What was once seen as a way to secure early access or exclusive bonuses has evolved into a risky financial decision with diminishing returns. For many players, the act of pre-purchasing a title months before release now carries more downsides than benefits. From broken promises to buggy launches and misleading trailers, the landscape has changed. It's time to reevaluate whether handing over your money before a game even exists in its final form is still worth it.

The Promise vs. The Reality of Pre-Orders

For over a decade, publishers have marketed pre-orders as a win-win. Gamers get bonus content—exclusive skins, weapons, or early access—while developers receive upfront capital to support production. In theory, this sounds fair. In practice, however, the balance has shifted dramatically. Today, most pre-order incentives are cosmetic or minor gameplay additions that could easily be added post-launch. Meanwhile, the risks to consumers have grown.

Consider the state of major releases in recent years. Games like Cyberpunk 2077, Starfield, and Hogwarts Legacy were heavily promoted with enticing pre-order bonuses. Yet all faced significant criticism upon launch—ranging from performance issues to missing features. Despite these flaws, players who pre-ordered had already committed their money, often without refund options on digital storefronts.

Tip: Wait for player reviews and patch notes before buying—even if you're excited. A week can save you hours of frustration.

Bonus Culture Has Lost Its Value

Once, pre-order bonuses felt special—a unique armor set, a physical art book, or a limited edition statue. Now, most bonuses are digital trinkets: a hat in an online shooter, a spray paint icon, or 500 in-game credits. These items are virtually costless to produce and offer no real gameplay advantage. Worse, they’re often added to the base game post-launch, meaning those who waited got the same content for free.

This bait-and-switch erodes trust. When a publisher dangles a “limited-time” reward that later becomes universally available, it signals that the incentive was less about rewarding loyalty and more about pushing early sales.

“We’ve seen a clear trend: pre-order bonuses are increasingly used as short-term conversion tools, not genuine fan appreciation.” — Lena Patel, Industry Analyst at GameTrend Insights

The Hidden Cost of Early Commitment

Pre-ordering locks you into a purchase before critical information is available. You won’t know the final quality of the game, how well it runs on your system, or whether it aligns with your expectations. Unlike physical goods or even movies, video games are interactive experiences—quality depends on mechanics, pacing, bugs, and design cohesion, none of which can be accurately judged from a trailer.

Digital storefronts like Steam, PlayStation Store, and Xbox Marketplace rarely offer refunds for pre-orders unless explicitly stated. Even when refunds are possible, they often come with tight windows—sometimes expiring the day of release. This means you might pay full price for a game that’s unplayable on your hardware or critically panned by reviewers.

Launch Day Disasters Are No Longer Rare

Modern AAA titles are massive technical undertakings. With open worlds, live-service elements, and cross-platform sync, the complexity is immense. Yet, many studios still rush to meet arbitrary release dates tied to fiscal quarters or marketing events. The result? Launches riddled with bugs, crashes, progression blockers, and server outages.

Pre-order customers become de facto beta testers—paying full price for the privilege. In contrast, waiting a few weeks allows patches to roll out, community feedback to accumulate, and developer teams to stabilize the experience. By month’s end, what was once a broken mess might evolve into a polished product.

Game Title	Pre-Order Price (USD)	Launch Issues	Stabilized After
Cyberpunk 2077	$60	Crashes, AI glitches, poor PC optimization	Over 1 year
Baldur’s Gate 3	$60	Minor bugs, save corruption (patched quickly)	2 weeks
Hogwarts Legacy	$70	Performance issues on older consoles	1 month
Diablo IV	$69.99	Server queues, repetitive endgame	3 months

Note the disparity: some games improve within weeks; others take over a year. Pre-ordering removes your ability to wait for that improvement.

Marketing Misleads More Than Ever

Trailers and demos are powerful tools—and increasingly deceptive. The gap between promotional footage and actual gameplay has widened. Techniques like scripted sequences, enhanced lighting, and non-representative difficulty settings create illusions of polish and depth.

In 2024, the FTC began investigating several publishers for \"materially misleading\" pre-release marketing. While no major penalties have been issued yet, the scrutiny highlights a growing problem: consumers are being sold a vision, not a product.

Worse, many pre-order campaigns rely on influencer partnerships where streamers are contractually obligated to avoid negative commentary. This creates a distorted echo chamber where hype dominates and criticism is suppressed until after launch.

Tip: Watch gameplay from non-sponsored creators. They’re more likely to show real bugs, frame drops, and design flaws.

A Smarter Approach: Delayed Buying Strategy

There’s a better way to enjoy new releases without the risk: strategic delay. Instead of pre-ordering, adopt a wait-and-see mindset. Use the first few weeks post-launch to gather intelligence. Here’s how:

1. Monitor review aggregators: Check Metacritic and OpenCritic, but focus on user scores and recent comments.
2. Watch long-form gameplay: Look for 3–5 hour playthroughs that show pacing, combat, and exploration.
3. Check patch history: Did the developer issue multiple hotfixes in the first week? That’s a red flag.
4. Wait for discounts: Most games drop 20–30% in price within 2–3 months, especially on PC.
5. Read modding community updates: On platforms like Nexus Mods, early mods often reveal underlying engine issues.

This approach doesn’t mean missing out—it means playing smarter. You’ll avoid paying full price for underbaked products and instead enter the experience when it’s stable, optimized, and possibly even improved through community feedback.

Real Example: Sarah’s Switch to Waiting

Sarah, a dedicated PlayStation owner from Austin, used to pre-order every major RPG release. In 2023, she paid $70 for a deluxe edition of a highly anticipated sci-fi adventure, lured by an exclusive digital soundtrack and a rare weapon skin. The game launched with severe stuttering on her PS5, broken quest triggers, and no photo mode—despite being advertised.

She requested a refund but was denied because she’d played over two hours. Frustrated, she decided to change her strategy. For the next title, she waited four weeks. By then, a major patch had fixed performance, and the community had confirmed the photo mode was working. She bought it on sale for $50 and enjoyed a smooth experience.

“I realized I wasn’t losing anything by waiting,” she said. “If anything, I gained peace of mind.”

What Publishers Gain (And You Lose)

It’s important to understand why pre-orders still exist. For publishers, they serve three key purposes:

• Revenue forecasting: High pre-order numbers justify larger marketing budgets and investor confidence.
• Pressure testing servers: Even flawed launches generate concurrent player data useful for scaling infrastructure.
• Reducing refund liability: Once a game launches, digital storefronts make refunds harder to obtain.

None of these benefits serve the consumer directly. In fact, high pre-order sales can discourage post-launch support—if initial revenue meets targets, studios may deprioritize fixes or expansions.

“Pre-orders are a financial instrument for publishers, not a service to fans. Consumers should treat them as such.” — Marcus Tran, Former QA Lead at Obsidian Entertainment

When Pre-Ordering Might Still Make Sense

It’s not an absolute rule. There are rare cases where pre-ordering remains reasonable:

• Physical collector’s editions: If you want a limited statue or steelbook, pre-ordering may be the only way to secure it.
• Supporting indie developers: Small studios with transparent roadmaps and playable demos may warrant early backing via platforms like Kickstarter or direct store purchases.
• Early access with opt-in refunds: Some stores now offer pre-orders with guaranteed refund windows regardless of playtime.

Even in these cases, caution is advised. Read the fine print, verify return policies, and assess whether the physical item truly holds value beyond sentiment.

Checklist: Should You Pre-Order?

Before clicking “buy” on a pre-release game, ask yourself:

1. Is the bonus content something I’ll actually use—or just cosmetic clutter?
2. Has the developer delivered stable launches in the past?
3. Are there public builds or demos I can test?
4. Does the store offer refunds after launch?
5. Am I buying this because I’m excited, or because I fear missing out?

If more than two answers give you pause, wait.

Frequently Asked Questions

Don’t pre-orders help support good developers?

Not necessarily. While early revenue helps with cash flow, most mid-to-large studios are funded well before pre-orders begin. True support comes from purchasing polished games post-launch or backing transparent indie projects with stretch goals.

What if I want to play on day one with friends?

Consider coordinating a group wait. Many communities now organize “smart launch” playthroughs two to four weeks after release, avoiding the worst bugs while still enjoying shared progress. You’ll have a better experience and stronger camaraderie.

Are digital pre-orders worse than physical ones?

They carry similar risks, but digital versions are harder to resell if the game disappoints. Physical copies can at least be traded or sold secondhand. However, physical stock is dwindling—many titles now skip discs entirely.

Conclusion: Play Smart in 2025

The era of blind faith in pre-orders is over. As games grow more ambitious and marketing more sophisticated, the burden is on players to protect their time and money. In 2025, the smartest move isn’t to pre-order—it’s to observe, evaluate, and enter when the experience is ready.

You don’t need to sacrifice excitement to be cautious. Anticipation is part of the fun. But let that anticipation fuel research, not impulse buys. Follow patch notes, join community discussions, and make informed decisions. The game isn’t going anywhere—and if it’s truly great, it will still be worth playing months later, bug-free and fairly priced.

🚀 Ready to change your gaming habits? Share this article with a friend who always pre-orders—and start a conversation about smarter play in 2025.