Randy Pitchford Finds Himself in Another Scandal

The story of Borderlands 4 began with a tweet from a dedicated fan of the series, who voiced concerns about the upcoming installment. They pointed out that the game's visuals seem too similar to Borderlands 3, suggesting it might struggle due to a possible reduction in the marketing budget. The fan also compared it to the critically panned Borderlands 2024 movie, which received harsh criticism from audiences and even from filmmaker Uwe Boll. Instead of engaging with the community, Randy Pitchford, the head of Gearbox, initially responded by saying he "doesn't want to see this negativity" and planned to block the user to avoid stress. However, he later clarified that he had reconsidered and opted to mute notifications from the account instead.

The situation intensified when popular streamer Gothalion encouraged the developer to be more receptive to criticism and respectful toward the opinions of long-time fans. In response, Pitchford dismissed the comment as "toxic pessimism" and not constructive. He further emphasized the immense pressure developers face, stating they are "literally killing themselves to entertain players."

This behavior led to a mixed response within the Borderlands community. Some fans supported Pitchford, acknowledging the intense pressure developers endure. Others criticized his response, seeing it as an avoidance of constructive dialogue and labeling his behavior as overly emotional. Many also noted that this was not the first instance of the Gearbox head making sharp remarks on social media.

Borderlands 4 is set to launch on September 23, 2025, and will be available on PS5, Xbox Series, and PC. Fans are eagerly awaiting its release, hoping for a game that meets their high expectations and addresses the concerns raised by the community.