The story of the upcoming Borderlands 4 began with a tweet from a dedicated fan of the series, who raised concerns about the new installment. The fan observed that the game's visual style closely resembles that of Borderlands 3, suggesting potential challenges due to a possible cut in the marketing budget. They also drew parallels to the critically panned Borderlands 2024 movie, which received harsh reviews from audiences and even from notorious filmmaker Uwe Boll. Rather than engaging in a constructive conversation with the community, Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford initially declared his intention to block the user to shield himself from negativity. He later revised his stance, opting instead to mute notifications from the account to avoid unnecessary stress.
The situation intensified when popular streamer Gothalion called on the developer to be more receptive to criticism and respectful of the opinions of the franchise's long-time fans. In response, Pitchford dismissed the feedback as "toxic pessimism" and not constructive, emphasizing the intense pressure developers face by stating that they are "literally killing themselves to entertain players."
This response triggered a range of reactions within the Borderlands community. Some fans rallied behind Pitchford, acknowledging the immense pressure game developers endure. Others, however, criticized his approach as an evasion of constructive dialogue, describing his reaction as overly emotional. Many also recalled that this was not the first instance of the Gearbox head making sharp comments on social media.
Borderlands 4 is set to launch on September 23, 2025, and will be available on PS5, Xbox Series, and PC.
