The saga of Borderlands 4 kicked off with a tweet from a dedicated fan of the series, who voiced concerns about the upcoming installment. They pointed out that the game's visuals bear a striking resemblance to Borderlands 3, raising questions about its distinctiveness. Additionally, they speculated on a possible cut in the marketing budget that could hamper the game's success. Drawing parallels to the critically panned Borderlands movie of 2024, which even drew criticism from the notoriously harsh Uwe Boll, the fan expressed worry for the franchise's future. Instead of fostering a dialogue with the community, Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford opted to block the critic, citing a desire to avoid "negativity" and "unnecessary stress". He later backtracked, opting to mute notifications from the account instead.

The situation intensified when well-known streamer Gothalion called on the developer to embrace criticism and show respect to the series' long-time fans. In response, Pitchford dismissed the feedback as "toxic pessimism" and defended his team, stating that developers are "killing themselves to entertain players".

This sparked a wide range of reactions within the Borderlands community. Some rallied behind Pitchford, acknowledging the intense pressure faced by game developers. Others, however, saw his response as an evasion of constructive dialogue, labeling it as overly emotional. Many also recalled that this wasn't the first instance of Pitchford making controversial remarks on social media.

Mark your calendars: Borderlands 4 is slated for release on September 23, 2025, and will be available on PS5, Xbox Series, and PC.