The saga of Borderlands 4 kicked off with a tweet from a dedicated fan of the series, voicing concerns about the upcoming installment. The fan pointed out the striking visual similarities to Borderlands 3 and raised flags about possible cuts in the marketing budget. They also referenced the poorly received Borderlands 2024 movie, which was slammed by audiences, critics, and even filmmaker Uwe Boll. Instead of fostering a dialogue with the community, Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford dismissed the criticism, stating he "doesn't want to see this negativity" and intended to block the fan to shield himself from stress. Later, he walked back his initial reaction, opting instead to mute notifications from the account.

Tensions rose further when popular streamer Gothalion called on the developer to be more receptive to criticism and to respect the opinions of the franchise's long-time fans. Pitchford, in turn, labeled Gothalion's feedback as "toxic pessimism" and not constructive. He defended his team, emphasizing that developers are "killing themselves to entertain players," highlighting the immense pressure they face.

This exchange sparked a variety of reactions within the Borderlands community. While some rallied behind Pitchford, acknowledging the intense pressures on game developers, others felt his response was an evasion of constructive dialogue and criticized his emotional reaction. Many pointed out that this isn't the first instance of Pitchford making controversial remarks on social media.

Borderlands 4 is set to launch on September 23, 2025, and will be available on PS5, Xbox Series, and PC.