Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford Addresses 'Borderlands 4' US$80 Price Hike, Claims It Won't Be Issue For 'Real Fans'

Geek Culture

21-05-2025

Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford has made some controversial comments surrounding the potential US$80 price tag of its upcoming looter-shooter Borderlands 4 , claiming that 'real fans' will find a way to fork over the cash when the sequel launches on 12 September this year.
Pitchford took to X\Twitter in response to a fan's post stating that the game had 'better not be 80 dollars', to which he explained that the game's pricing was not his call, before proceeding to dismiss the pricing concerns. 'If you're a real fan, you'll find a way to make it happen.' he wrote, '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 parlour in Pismo Beach and I found a way to make it happen.'
Unsurprisingly, Pitchford's comments didn't go well with the Borderlands community, sparking negative backlash across the board, with fans posting comments like 'That has to be one of the worst CEO replies from recent memory,' or 'Just don't buy it. Talk with your money. If you're a true fan, you won't accept them pricing people out. This one's US$80, the next game will be US$100 and continue to rise. Say no,' with many insinuating that they pirate the game instead of paying for its hefty price tag.
Of course, this doesn't mean that the game would actually cost US$80 when it launches, with Pitchford stating earlier this month that he doesn't know how much the game would be priced at. 'It's going to be the people at the publishing house that decide that. We'll know soon. I think it's going to be fine, whatever the [price is]. It's worth it.' he explained at the time.
With the direction the industry is going, it won't be surprising if Borderlands 4 does end up being US$80, with other major names, such as Nintendo and Microsoft, having already announced price hikes for their upcoming games. While publisher Take-Two has seen a more cautious approach with their game prices, with the upcoming Mafia: The Old Country only costing US$50, it remains to be seen which direction Borderlands 4 will take as it approaches its release on 12 September 2025.
Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise 'duds' like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3 . He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying. Borderlands 4 Gearbox Software Randy Pitchford