The controversy started when a Borderlands fan tweeted concerns about the upcoming game, suggesting it looked too similar to Borderlands 3 and might suffer from reduced marketing resources. They also referenced the poorly received Borderlands 2024 movie, which drew criticism from viewers and even director Uwe Boll. Rather than addressing these concerns, Pitchford dismissed them as "negativity" and initially threatened to block the user before opting to mute notifications instead.
Tensions rose further when streamer Gothalion encouraged the developer to embrace fan feedback respectfully. Randy Pitchford countered by labeling the critique "toxic pessimism" and defended developers' intense workload to deliver entertainment.
Community responses were divided. While some defended Pitchford's stance on development pressures, others viewed his reaction as dismissive of valid criticism. Many noted this wasn't the first instance of Pitchford's confrontational social media presence.
Borderlands 4 launches September 23, 2025, for PS5, Xbox Series, and PC.
