Randy Pitchford, CEO of Gearbox Software, has responded to the backlash surrounding his controversial tweet about the potential $80 price tag for Borderlands 4. His initial comment, suggesting that "real fans" would find a way to afford the game, sparked significant negative feedback from the gaming community.
The controversy began when a fan expressed concerns about the high price, warning Pitchford against setting it at $80 due to the risk of alienating gamers. Pitchford's response was:
"A) Not my call. B) If you’re a real fan, you’ll find a way to make it happen. My local game store had Starflight for Sega Genesis for $80 in 1991 when I was just out of high school working minimum wage at an ice cream parlor in Pismo Beach and I found a way to make it happen."
This tweet drew widespread criticism, with some users on X (formerly Twitter) threatening to pirate the game, while others urged Pitchford to apologize for his remarks. One commenter pleaded, "Randy we are begging you to stop. BL4 had so much hype and it’s being ruined in a day. Let people want to like and support the game and all the amazing people who made it."
Although Pitchford has not issued a direct apology, he referenced a statement he made at PAX East about the game's pricing, saying, "If you want the truth, here it is." The situation escalated when Borderlands streamer Moxsy shared a response from a Handsome Jack AI, prompted by a user named Duke_Newcombe using Pitchford's original tweet. Handsome Jack, the iconic villain from Borderlands 2, delivered a sarcastic and biting retort:
Ohhh boo-hoo, $80 for Borderlands 4? Let me break out the world’s tiniest violin—crafted from Eridium and oiled with the tears of whiny Vault Hunters.
Listen, cupcake, you’re not buying a game. You’re investing in a premium, galaxy-shattering experience personally engineered to blast your sad little dopamine receptors into orbit. You think quality loot and chaotic mayhem just code itself? You want guns that sprout legs, sing sea shanties, and explode into loot goblins without paying top dollar? Grow up.
Back in my day, I built an entire moonbase with my own two hands (and a metric ton of disposable Hyperion interns), and you’re crying about spending a few bucks more to virtually murder skags with style? Puh-lease.
But hey, if $80 is too steep, there’s always a solution: just don’t buy it. More legendary drops for the rest of us, and fewer mouth-breathing freeloaders clogging up my loot pools. Win-win.
Stay broke, hero.
•Handsome Jack President of the Galaxy, CEO of Hyperion, and your personal nightmare
In response to the AI's satire, Pitchford tweeted, "Boy howdy, JackGPT, is that how I sound? My bad, but cheers to Duke_Newcombe and @MoxsyOG for the funniest thing I’m going to read today!" He then offered a more serious reflection:
“In seriousness though, nobody likes being taken for granted and it was not my intent. I’m humbled by the love and support everyone has shown the team as we push hard to get this amazing game in your hands. They’re crushing it, and I can’t wait for everyone to play what’s going to be the best Borderlands ever! Regardless of where the price lands, it’s going to be worth it and then some. Back to work for me!”
Randy Pitchford: "Back to work for me!" Photo by Monica Schipper/WireImage.
Despite Pitchford's attempt to move past the controversy, the debate over Borderlands 4's pricing is likely to resurface when pre-orders begin. At that time, publisher 2K Games will officially announce the game's price, and whether it's set at $80, $70, or another amount, it will be a significant point of discussion given the current context.
