Summary
Outspoken Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford recently reacted to the negativity forming aroundBorderlands 4, urging fans and players alike to trust developers. Pitchford specifically took issue with what Midwest Games Audience Director Gothalion had to say about the criticism the upcoming game had seen. This all comes months ahead of the release ofBorderlands 4, which is set to be one of 2025’s bigger releases if all goes according to plan.
Known for its irreverent comedy, cartoon art style, and laundry list of wacky enemies to fight, theBorderlandsseries has hit somewhat of a low point. While the game received generally positive reviews, fans feltBorderlands 3lacked the magic and spark found in previous releases. TheBorderlandsfranchise also got its own live-action moviein 2024 starring Cate Blanchett and Kevin Hart, which bombed both critically and commercially. This hasn’t stopped excitement from forming aroundBorderlands 4, though, which will be the first mainline entry in the franchise since 2019. However, as anticipation and hype build, so does negativity and criticism, with Pitchford now throwing his hat into the ring.
Pitchford recently responded to the negativity towardsBorderlands 4online, specifically to a comment made by Gothalion on Twitter, who claimed Pitchford muted a fan for raising concerns aboutBorderlands 4. Gothalion said these criticisms came from a place of love, but Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford disagreed. “I didn’t see any critique. I just saw negativity that was demotivating,” said Pitchford. This is hardly the first instance of Pitchford going to bat for one of his games, with the CEO recentlyhyping upBorderlands 4’s new skill tree system.
Randy Pitchford Responds to Borderlands 4 Criticism
“Want the bestBorderlands?” asked Pitchford. “Root for us and cheer us on. If you take developer’s passion for granted, we’ll all pay the price.” Criticism is something Pitchford says he appreciates and claims there’s never a short supply of it. As stated earlier, the Gearbox CEO is known for being rather outspoken and bold when it comes to discussing his projects and the video game industry as a whole. Last year,Pitchford criticized Steam for holding a “monopoly” on video gamesin the West, also calling out Epic Games for its handling of the company’s own digital storefront.
Borderlands 4releases on July 01, 2025, a year already destined to go down in the video game history books. Not only does 2025 mark thereturn of iconic franchises likeBorderlandsandCivilization, but the year will also see the launch of Nintendo’s highly anticipated Switch 2 console. Of course, this year’s biggest release will likely beGrand Theft Auto 6, a game also helmed by theBorderlandsseries' parent company, Take-Two Interactive.
