Borderlands Creator Randy Pitchford Gets Criticized for Being Unable to Handle Criticism

Randy Pitchford, the CEO of Gearbox – known as the creator of the Borderlands series, the director of Half-Life: Opposing Force, and the guy who compared himself to The Beatles and left a USB drive with adult films at a Medieval Times restaurant in 2014 – has once again become a subject of controversy, this time for doing something you should never do on the internet – publicly showing how thin-skinned and touchy you can be – now facing criticism for being unable to handle criticism related to the upcoming Borderlands 4.

While the debacle began only recently, the events leading up to it actually took place in late February, when Mitsu, a content creator and longtime Borderlands fan, shared a Twitter thread expressing his doubts about Borderlands 4 by saying the game looks too similar to its predecessor, Borderlands 3.

He also offered some mild criticism, suggesting the forthcoming title "feels like other situations where the publisher yanked the marketing budget to cut losses since projected sales are way, way down" and noting that the game "feels like the movie," referencing the disastrous 2024 Borderlands film that has already been slammed by audiences, critics, and even Uwe Boll.

Following the thread's publication, Pitchford himself showed up in the comments, claiming he would block, and ultimately muting Mitsu, stating that it wasn't the kind of energy he needed at the moment:

And that would've likely been the end of things if not for Twitch streamer Gothalion, who revisited the interaction, questioning why Pitchford would publicly mute an OG Borderlands fan over inoffensive and genuine concerns for the well-being of the series.

"His critique came from a place of love," Gothalion said to the CEO. "As will mine. Please reconsider. Do better. Make a great Borderlands, and when your longest-lasting, biggest supporters give feedback and worries, especially respectfully, digest it gracefully. Hoping BL4 bangs."

Much like the original tweet, Gothalion's question caught the attention of the magic man, who argued that it wasn't criticism but rather "sh*tty negativity that was demotivating." He added that he's one of the people "killing themselves for your entertainment," and if you want to support Borderlands 4, Pitchford wants you to "root for us and cheer us on":

Showing not just once, but twice, his inability to take criticism or simply ignore "that noise" and refrain from replying to it on social media, the CEO only attracted more negativity, with multiple Twitter users lambasting Borderlands 4, the series as a whole, and especially Pitchford for "playing the victim," acting like a "crybaby" online, and tarnishing Gearbox's image.

Subsequently, GamesRadar+ found several pieces of evidence proving that the CEO's behavior on social media is not new, with multiple instances of him struggling to handle negative feedback, especially after the release and flop of the Borderlands movie.

And what do you think about Mitsu's original thread and Pitchford's response to it? Was the CEO's reaction justified? Are you hyped up about Borderlands 4's impending release? Tell us in the comments?

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