The story of Borderlands 4's development took a dramatic turn when it all started with a tweet from a dedicated fan of the Borderlands series. The fan raised concerns about the upcoming installment, pointing out that the game's visuals seemed too similar to Borderlands 3 and speculated about a possible reduction in the marketing budget. They also drew comparisons to the poorly received Borderlands movie from 2024, which was heavily criticized by audiences and critics alike, even by the notoriously harsh Uwe Boll. Rather than engaging with the community's feedback, 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 shield himself from stress. However, he later clarified that he had reconsidered and opted instead to mute notifications from that account.
The situation intensified when popular streamer Gothalion stepped in, urging the developer to be more receptive to criticism and to respect the opinions of long-time fans. In response, Randy Pitchford dismissed the comment as "toxic pessimism" and not constructive. He further emphasized the intense pressure on developers, stating that they are "killing themselves to entertain players."
This exchange triggered a wide range of reactions within the Borderlands community. Some users rallied behind Pitchford, acknowledging the immense pressure game developers face. On the other hand, many felt his response was an evasion of constructive dialogue and perceived it as overly emotional. Several community members also pointed out that this was not 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.
