Borderlands Creator Randy Pitchford Sparks Talk About “True Fans” Online Again

In Short:

• On social media, Randy Pitchford has once more thrown shade at Borderlands players
• Promoting the free game, Pitchford said it was for “real fans” who happen to be “cost-sensitive.”
• Despite the swift backlash, he acted as if there was nothing wrong with his statement

After recently telling fans they’d buy Borderlands 4 if they were “real fans,” Randy Pitchford has once again said something that feels tone-deaf.

Elpis, Pandora’s moon, was warped through space by Lilith, destroying the planetary shield around Kairos.

In Borderlands 4, you become a Vault Hunter fighting against the tyrant Timekeeper and his robotic forces known as the Order. You’re also on the hunt for lost alien treasures buried deep across the planet.

For our real fans who may be cost sensitive, the very awesome and incredibly fun smash hit videogame Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is FREE this week on the Epic Games Store. Please enjoy this FREE gift by grabbing your FREE copy here, FREE: https://t.co/r5buZrga3b

— Randy Pitchford (@DuvalMagic) May 30, 2025

While promoting the free PC version of Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, Pitchford said it was for “real fans who may be cost-sensitive” before sharing how to claim the 2022 game.

Reinforcing the “real fans” message didn’t sit well, Pitchford was met with instant backlash.

Borderlands Won’t Have Many Fans Left If Randy Keeps Running His Mouth

Someone called the post “backhanded,” and it’s hard to argue. Bringing up “real fans” and pricing only added fuel to Borderlands’ growing PR fire.

Instead of owning the criticism, Pitchford went with, “How are you doing?”, a response that avoided the actual issue.

Saying “cost sensitive” as the CEO of a company (In lieu of criticism of an $80 price tag for BL4) when a lot of your fan base is struggling to even pay for the roof over their heads and food on their tables is a crazy sentence to utter

— Frostedd 🇵🇸 (@Frost2dd) May 30, 2025

When people pointed out his backhanded remark, Pitchford dismissed the offense. He turned it into a promotion for a free game.

Whether Pitchford’s remarks impact Borderlands 4’s success remains to be seen, but fans are growing frustrated with the insults over the $80 cost.

Borderlands 4

Gearbox and 2K are teaming up again for Borderlands 4. It’s a direct sequel to Borderlands 3 and continues the franchise’s over-the-top action and looting fun.

The game drops on September 12, 2025, for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. The Switch 2 version is coming later.

Borderlands 4 basically sticks to its roots as a looter shooter from a first-person view, with action-RPG elements. Gearbox promises a smooth experience with no loading screens when exploring the world.

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