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Subscribe from just £3 Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love Try a single issue or save on a subscription Issues delivered straight to your door or device From£9.99Subscribe now Tell us what you think of GamesRadar+ Battlefield 6 Switch 2 stock Horror Special Recommended reading Borderlands Borderlands 4's Randy Pitchford sorta kinda apologizes over $80 "real fan" comment: "Nobody likes being taken for granted and it was not my intent" Borderlands Take Two boss says Borderlands 4 is $70 instead of $80 because "we want to put out the best entertainment on Earth and we want to deliver more value than what we charge for" Borderlands Borderlands 4 boss Randy Pitchford responds to "real fans" backlash by doubling down on the fact he doesn't set the price: "If you want the truth, here it is" Borderlands Gearbox CEO's $80 Borderlands 4 controversy has even some of the series' biggest fans distancing themselves: "Absolute lose-lose situation for him" Borderlands Baldur's Gate 3 dev calls Randy Pitchford's $80 Borderlands 4 comments "gross" because it implies the FPS is more important than "making it day to day" Borderlands After Borderlands 4 price comment backlash and a smoldering review bombing, series fans turn a new offer of golden keys from Randy Pitchford into the latest theater: "Surprised the code wasn't 'for the true fans'" Borderlands Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford says it's "not my call" if Borderlands 4 costs $80, but "if you're a real fan," you'll find a way to buy it anyway Action RPGs Borderlands Borderlands 4 Randy Pitchford and his "big personality" may have caused Gearbox some controversy with all that $80 Borderlands 4 banter, but his boss wouldn't have it any other way: "I still love him to death" 8 August 2025 Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick hails Randy Pitchford as "one of the all time great game makers" When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: 2K) It's often been said that there's no such thing as bad publicity, but it's easy to wonder if that's a sentiment Take-Two Interactive boss Strauss Zelnick readily agrees with these days. The parent company of developer Gearbox Software is, after all, preparing to support the launch of Borderlands 4 on September 12 – a key property for the company following the delay of GTA 6 into 2026. The thing is, just as Borderlands 4 should have been taking a victory lap it became embroiled in controversy over the summer – thanks in no small part to Gearbox development chief Randy Pitchford's tendency to go a little rogue on social media. "If you're a real fan, you'll find a way to make it happen," were the infamous words Pitchford chose to use when debating with a player online over the supposed $80 price point for the upcoming first-person looter-shooter. In the months since this interaction, publisher 2K Games dropped the price back to $70 and Pitchford went to great lengths to address the controversy he helped stir up. So, what does Zelnick make of all the noise surrounding Borderlands 4 and its outspoken creator? You may like Borderlands 4's Randy Pitchford sorta kinda apologizes over $80 "real fan" comment: "Nobody likes being taken for granted and it was not my intent" Take Two boss says Borderlands 4 is $70 instead of $80 because "we want to put out the best entertainment on Earth and we want to deliver more value than what we charge for" Borderlands 4 boss Randy Pitchford responds to "real fans" backlash by doubling down on the fact he doesn't set the price: "If you want the truth, here it is" "I love Randy, first of all. Let me just say that on the record,” says Zelnick in an interview with IGN. "And I love his big personality. I love his passion and he is one of the all time great game makers. He also can be controversial at times – sometimes intentionally, sometimes unintentionally. I still love him to death." Given the enduring legacy and popularity of the Borderlands franchise, I can't say I'm all that surprised to see Zelnick throwing his support behind Randy "big personality" Pitchford. We'll never know if the BL4 would have truly been worth $80, as he once attested, although it's clear from my first Borderlands 4 hands-on preview that Gearbox is certainly taking some big swings this time around. As for the pricing drama itself, Zelnick is unwilling to commit to any standard across his business. (Image credit: 2K Games) This comes as Mafia: The Old Country lands this week at a $50 pricepoint, and as rumors and industry analysts point to the chance that GTA 6 could launch at $100 when it lands for PS5 and Xbox Series X on May 26, 2026. Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. "We've always engaged in variable pricing and we really want to make sure that the consumer's experience of the title is that Borderlands 4 is a great, great game, which we believe it is, and that we're offering a terrific value at the same time," Zelnick told IGN. With Borderlands 4 set to land on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X on September 12, 2025, we certainly don't have long to find out now if Zelnick's assertions are right on the money. See more PC Gaming News Xbox Series X PlayStation Social Links Navigation Editor-in-Chief, GamesRadar+ Josh West is the Editor-in-Chief of GamesRadar+. He has over 15 years experience in online and print journalism, and holds a BA (Hons) in Journalism and Feature Writing. Prior to starting his current position, Josh has served as GR+'s Features Editor and Deputy Editor of games™ magazine, and has freelanced for numerous publications including 3D Artist, Edge magazine, iCreate, Metal Hammer, Play, Retro Gamer, and SFX. Additionally, he has appeared on the BBC and ITV to provide expert comment, written for Scholastic books, edited a book for Hachette, and worked as the Assistant Producer of the Future Games Show. In his spare time, Josh likes to play bass guitar and video games. Years ago, he was in a few movies and TV shows that you've definitely seen but will never be able to spot him in. You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. Borderlands 4's Randy Pitchford sorta kinda apologizes over $80 "real fan" comment: "Nobody likes being taken for granted and it was not my intent" Take Two boss says Borderlands 4 is $70 instead of $80 because "we want to put out the best entertainment on Earth and we want to deliver more value than what we charge for" Borderlands 4 boss Randy Pitchford responds to "real fans" backlash by doubling down on the fact he doesn't set the price: "If you want the truth, here it is" Gearbox CEO's $80 Borderlands 4 controversy has even some of the series' biggest fans distancing themselves: "Absolute lose-lose situation for him" Baldur's Gate 3 dev calls Randy Pitchford's $80 Borderlands 4 comments "gross" because it implies the FPS is more important than "making it day to day" After Borderlands 4 price comment backlash and a smoldering review bombing, series fans turn a new offer of golden keys from Randy Pitchford into the latest theater: "Surprised the code wasn't 'for the true fans'" Latest in Borderlands Take Two boss says Borderlands 4 is $70 instead of $80 because "we want to put out the best entertainment on Earth and we want to deliver more value than what we charge for" The new Borderlands 4 Vault Hunter that I knew the least about suddenly looks like one of the most interesting characters, and I didn't expect him to remind me of the modern God of War games The new Borderlands 4 trailer feels like an extreme parody of the 2025 games industry: a (literal) bloodbath caused by board members killing cool ideas to save money Borderlands 4 has the "biggest world" Gearbox has ever made, and it's as seamless as it can be thanks to the power of "technical bulls***" that allows for "less borders, more lands" "Borderlands is already bats**t," says Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford, so why should Borderlands 4 "care about the laws of physics" with new movement tech Randy Pitchford says Borderlands 4 is intended to "bring new people in" to the series, and I can only hope it's better at that than the Borderlands movie and its $110 million loss Latest in News 43-year CRPG veteran behind Fallout and Wasteland "worried about job loss" from AI, which seems justified now that his parent company Microsoft laid off 9,000 in exchange for more slop Hideo Kojima is currently "checking the data" on your favorite Death Stranding 2 routes and weapons, and I hope he's personally counting every road I've restored without help from the ceramics-hording jerks I've been paired with Pokemon fans revive old, official "Rescue Team" initiative to help players free 23-year-old GBA 'mons from their Gen 3 prisons – and beyond – and get them on Switch Hideo Kojima is making his Metal Gear spiritual successor Physint "all by myself" while Kojima Productions is busy on OD Scream 4 actor Alison Brie says the “current era” of the horror franchise lets "too many people live," but disagrees with one iconic death: "That was a mistake" Umamusume players hold a digital funeral for Grass Wonder, the real, 30-year-old racehorse behind one of the game's beloved anime horse girls: "May you eat dandelions in heaven" GAME REVIEWS MOVIE REVIEWS I'm convinced that this is still one of the best team board games around, and it deserves to be on your shelf Is This Seat Taken? review: "I can't believe organizing seating charts can be this charming" Legend in the Mist review: "Incredible flourishes on press-your-luck mechanics to incentivise tough decisions" Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound review: "Absolutely proves Ninja Gaiden deserved to be revived – I've never been happier to be right" Grounded 2 review: "I'm already having terrific fun thanks to ant buggies and a massive new park to explore, even if this sequel is slightly safe" Weapons review: "A twisted fairytale that bests Barbarian" The Fantastic Four: First Steps review: "An occasionally thrilling heroic adventure that sits safely within a B-tier MCU range" Superman review: "A triumphant reinvention and a promising start for the DCU" Jurassic World Rebirth Review: "An unscary sequel that needed a little more time in amber" M3GAN 2.0 review: "A bold sequel with a slightly underwhelming conclusion" Wednesday season 2 part 1 review: "Complex and exciting but weighed down by too many subplots" Alien: Earth review: "Arguably the franchise's strongest outing since James Cameron's Aliens" King of the Hill season 14 review: "Hank Hill himself has evolved into a much more open and accepting person" Eyes of Wakanda review: "A creative premise shortchanged by the runtime and Marvel bloat" Squid Game season 3 review: "A staggeringly excellent final season wraps up one of the greatest Netflix shows ever" GamesRadar+ is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. 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