With consumers dreading a new normal of $80 games, Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford gave a controversial response to concerns that the company's "Creator's Voice" video about Borderlands 4 on X, a replied to him, making a plea to make sure the game is not priced at $80. Pitchford directly responded to the post, and fans jumped on his response.
Borderlands 4 is not available to pre-order yet, and the suggested retail price has yet to be determined.
X @oldgoldsot said to Pitchford that an $80 retail price was a risk and that people wouldn't pay it, insisting that he has influence on the price. Pitchford responded (via IGN) by saying that it's "not [his] call" on how much Borderlands 4 costs, and that "If you’re a real fan, you’ll find a way to make it happen." He then went on to cite an example of a Sega Genesis game that was $80 during his high school years, and he was "working minimum wage at an ice cream parlor in Pismo Beach" to be able to afford it.
Pitchford's Comment Was Met With Derision
"One Of The Worst CEO Replies From Recent Memory"
Pitchford has a long history of making controversial statements, and this latest post about Borderlands 4 is already attracting sarcasm and rage. While Borderlands 4 may not necessarily cost $80 when it launches, Pitchford's indifferent response to the possible price is being characterized as tone-deaf to consumer concerns. With Nintendo and Xbox giving a price hike to some of their titles, such as Mario Kart World, people like @oldgoldsot think that more publishers following the trend will "feed this notion of constant increase of the price tag."
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Elsewhere online, commentators are mocking Pitchford's comments and stating that they'll wait for a sale or even obtain the game through more questionable means. "Man he's so right. I personally plan to wait it out until I get it for free from epic or twitch or something," said Reddit cyruzx in response to the quote. Other comments take issue with the phrase "real fan" and brand it as a "toxic term." One popular reply on X from leaker @zvis_ceral called Pitchford's reply "one of the worst CEO replies from recent memory."
Our Take: Pitchford Is Hilariously Out Of Touch
Economic Anxiety Is At A High
Pitchford's controversial post basically equates to him telling fans to pull themselves up by their bootstraps, and it fails to reflect the anxiety that consumers have about the games industry and the world economy at large. With continuing inflation and the threat of tariffs imposed by the United States likely to affect gaming products, Pitchford's comments make several unfair assumptions about prospective purchasers of his company's game.
By saying that "real" fans will figure out how to afford to buy more expensive games, Pitchford is engaging in some gatekeeping language and displaying ignorance of any monetary issues that consumers may have during current turbulent times. At best, it's unearned confidence that Borderlands fans will pay any price to experience the new game. While the new game could have some potential, comments like these from Pitchford won't help Borderlands 4 attract any new devotees.
Source: Randy Pitchford/X, IGN
Borderlands 4
- Released
- September 12, 2025
- ESRB
- Rating Pending
- Developer(s)
- Gearbox Software
- Publisher(s)
- 2K
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op, Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- Yes - all
