Randy Pitchford embroiled in new scandal

The story kicked off with a tweet from a devoted fan of the Borderlands series, expressing concerns about the upcoming installment. They pointed out that the game visually echoes Borderlands 3 too closely and might struggle due to a possible cut in the marketing budget. The fan also likened it to the unsuccessful Borderlands 2024 movie, which was panned by both audiences and critics, including the notorious Uwe Boll. Rather than engaging with the community, Randy Pitchford, head of Gearbox, initially stated he "doesn't want to see this negativity" and threatened to block the user to shield himself from stress. He later clarified that he had reconsidered and simply muted notifications from that account instead.

The situation intensified when well-known streamer Gothalion called on the developer to embrace criticism and respect the views of the series' long-time fans. In response, Randy dismissed the comment as "toxic pessimism" and not constructive. He stressed that developers are "literally killing themselves to entertain players," highlighting the intense pressure they face.

This sparked a range of reactions within the community. Some rallied behind Pitchford, acknowledging the immense pressure developers endure. However, others felt his response was an evasion of constructive dialogue and criticized his emotional reaction. Many recalled that this wasn't the first instance of the Gearbox head making sharp comments on social media.

Mark your calendars: Borderlands 4 is set to launch on September 23, 2025, and will be available on PS5, Xbox Series, and PC.