Borderlands 4 CEO Snaps Back

Drama

15 September 2025 13:59

Borderlands 4 launched last week, dropping players into the vibrant new open-world setting of Kairos. But while the game has captivated many with its expansive landscapes and fresh content, its PC performance issues have stirred controversy—and caught Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford in the crossfire.

With only 65% of user reviews on Steam currently positive, a growing chorus of frustrated players is voicing concerns over optimization problems, crashes, and inconsistent frame rates. Despite ongoing hotfixes and patches from Gearbox, many players feel their concerns are being dismissed, and a recent online exchange involving Pitchford has only added fuel to the fire.

Amidst mounting criticism, Pitchford took to social media to offer technical advice intended to help PC users improve their experience. He suggested disabling volumetric fog, enabling DLSS, and tweaking system graphics settings within Windows 10. While some appreciated the guidance, others were quick to call out the company for relying on user-end solutions rather than delivering a fully optimized product.

The situation escalated when a commenter criticized Gearbox’s alleged reliance on AI upscaling, questioning the studio’s development practices. Pitchford fired back with a sarcastic response:

"Code your own engine and show us how it’s done, please. We will be your customer when you pull it off. The people doing it now are clearly dumb and don’t know what they’re doing and all the support and recommendations and code and architecture from the world’s greatest hardware companies and tech companies working with the world’s greatest real time graphics engine coders don’t know what you seem to know. /sarcasm"

Though Pitchford later clarified that the message was meant as sarcasm, the tone did little to de-escalate tensions. Many fans saw the response as dismissive and out of touch with the frustrations they were expressing.

Social media platforms quickly lit up with criticism of the CEO’s tone and approach. One user replied bluntly, "Wow, really? That’s your reaction? Not a good look, bro." Others took a more scathing tone, focusing on the perceived lack of quality control.

"It’s not our fault you can’t deliver a solid product." "Don’t charge $70 if you cannot optimize the game. Crybaby."

Some called for accountability at the leadership level, directly calling out Pitchford’s public persona:

"You either need to learn PR basics or step down, Randy. You are a genuine embarrassment."

More:Ubisoft Staff Against Saudi Arabia Deal

Tags: Borderlands

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