I am going to keep pre-ordering games on solid platforms like Steam. The pros of pre-ordering tend to outweigh the cons. But people here, and on Reddit, love to exaggerate the cons of pre-ordering. As long as I can painlessly return a game if it turns out to be a stinker, it’s not a big deal.

What are the pros of per-ordering? I can’t think of any other than promotional DLC that is normally worthless.

If you buy at shops like Green Man Gaming you can save $12 or so at launch.

Drawback is no refund if it’s shit

There are also the pre-order bonuses, like cool skins or early access. Caveat emptor on the actual value proposition.