The narrative of the upcoming *Borderlands 4* game kicked off with a tweet from a dedicated fan of the series, who raised concerns about the new installment. They pointed out that the game's visuals bear a striking resemblance to *Borderlands 3* and speculated that a possible cut in the marketing budget might pose challenges. They also drew a comparison to the unsuccessful *Borderlands* movie from 2024, which was met with widespread criticism from both fans and critics, including the notorious Uwe Boll. Rather than engaging in a discussion with the community, Randy Pitchford, the head of Gearbox, initially stated his intention to block the fan to shield himself from what he termed "negativity". He later revised his stance, opting instead to mute notifications from the user's account.

The situation intensified when well-known streamer Gothalion called on the developer to be more receptive to feedback and respectful towards the opinions of long-standing fans. In response, Pitchford dismissed the streamer's comments as "toxic pessimism" and not constructive. He went on to stress the extreme efforts developers make, saying they are "literally killing themselves to entertain players".

These comments elicited a range of reactions from the community. Some rallied behind Pitchford, acknowledging the intense pressure developers are under. Others viewed his response as an evasion of constructive dialogue, labeling it as overly emotional. Many also recalled that this was not the first instance of Pitchford making controversial statements on social media.

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