Borderlands 4 Randy Pitchford controversy: How much will the game cost? CEO's final verdict
Randy Pitchford, CEO of video game developer Gearbox Software, sparked controversy after claiming that a ‘real fan’ would pay $80 for Borderlands 4
Randy Pitchford, CEO of video game developer Gearbox Software, sparked controversy after claiming that a ‘real fan’ would pay $80 for Borderlands 4, which releases on September 12. The company, however, has not confirmed any pricing details, amid fears that the game will be priced as much as $80.
On May 13, a fan tagged Pitchford on X to post: “Randy, this game better not be 80 dollars. Don't take that risk, alot of gamers aren't gonna pay 80 dollars and feed this notion of constant increase of the price tag You are the CEO, you have some say with the price when it comes to your publisher.”
The CEO responded by reminding the fan that it is ‘not my call’.
"A) Not my call. B) If you're a real fan, you'll find a way to make it happen," he said on X, platform formerly known as Twitter. He further detailed how he saved money during his high school days by working for minimum wage.
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“My local game store had Starflight for Sega Genesis for $80 in 1991 when I was just out of high school working minimum wage at an ice cream parlor in Pismo Beach and I found a way to make it happen,” Pitchford tweeted.
However, his comments did not sit well with gamers, who expressed frustration with Nintendo's price premium for Switch 2 titles.
“Dawg we are NOT paying $80 for a Borderlands game fully knowing you’ll do multiple season passes that cost another $100 and you’ll probably sell weapon skins too😭😭😭” one person wrote.
“That has to be one of the worst CEO replies from recent memory 💀” another one added.
Randy Pitchford clarifies
Following on from the controversy, Pitchford made another tweet: "If you want the truth, here it is." He attached a clip from the recent Borderlands 4 panel at PAX East, during which, when asked how much Borderlands 4 would cost, Pitchford replied: "I'll tell you the truth – I don't know."
He further explained that 'we've got a competitive marketplace where the people that make those choices want to sell as many units as possible, and they want to be careful about people that are price sensitive'.
"There are other folks accepting the reality that game budgets are increasing, and there are tariffs for the retail packaging, and it's getting gnarly out there".
