Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford Tells Gamers to "play a different game"
Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford's blunt advice to unhappy Borderlands 4 players—get a refund and play something else—has ignited fresh backlash amid performance woes, highlighting his polarizing social media presence.
Randy Pitchford, the outspoken Gearbox Software CEO, has once again stirred the pot with his fiery responses to Borderlands 4 criticism, urging frustrated players to seek Steam refunds if the game's performance doesn't meet their standards. Released on September 12, 2025, for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2, Borderlands 4 dives deeper into the chaotic looter-shooter universe, where players embody Vault Hunters scavenging alien worlds for legendary gear while battling bizarre foes in an open-world frenzy.
For newcomers, the Borderlands series, kicking off in 2009, blends cel-shaded art, endless loot variety—from rocket-spewing rifles to screaming grenades—and co-op mayhem, all wrapped in irreverent humor and heartfelt undercurrents. This latest entry evolves the formula with enhanced mobility, diverse classes, and a sprawling landscape, but technical hiccups have soured some experiences, prompting Pitchford's unfiltered retorts.
Here's the TLDR...
Randy Pitchford advised Borderlands 4 players unhappy with frame rates to "play a different game" after suggesting tools like DLSS, escalating his public Twitter exchanges on performance.
Borderlands 4 boasts strong critical acclaim with an 84 Metacritic score and 85 on OpenCritic, praised for open-world innovation and loot diversity, but Steam user reviews sit at "Mixed" due to crashes and optimization issues.
Pitchford's history of hot takes includes the May 2025 "real fans" controversy, where he implied true supporters would pay $80 for the game, leading to widespread outrage and piracy threats.
Despite positives like record concurrent players on Steam, Pitchford's combative style has alienated fans, with only 1% of installs reporting issues per his claims, yet broader perceptions of the franchise suffer.
Gearbox promises patches, but Pitchford's "premium gamers" stance—dismissing older hardware—fuels debates on accessibility in modern gaming.
Borderlands 4's Launch: Hits and Performance Hurdles
Borderlands 4 burst onto the scene with a bang, shattering series records for concurrent Steam players in its first 24 hours and earning widespread praise from critics for revitalizing the franchise. IGN called it a return to form, noting how the shift to a true open world "allows 2025’s Borderlands to surprise us again," with fluid combat, bizarre weapons like overheating snipers that fire endlessly, and balanced humor alongside touching narratives.
OpenCritic's 85 average from 48 reviews deems it "Mighty," with 96% recommending it for its co-op chaos and iterative improvements on the 16-year-old formula. Forbes highlighted at least three perfect 10/10 scores and no dips below 7, positioning it as a solid evolution from Borderlands 3's missteps.
Yet, the honeymoon was short-lived for PC players. Reports of frame drops, crashes during intense battles, and suboptimal optimization plagued launches, even on high-end rigs with Nvidia GPUs. PC Gamer noted Steam reviews dipping to "Mostly Negative" initially before climbing to "Mixed." Gearbox's initial tests showed playable results on mid-range hardware, but larger battles exposed cracks. Pitchford acknowledged the gripes, claiming less than 1% of players contacted support for valid issues and boasting personal fixes boosting FPS from 30 to 90. Still, the disconnect between critical highs and user lows has amplified calls for urgent patches.
Randy Pitchford's Refund Rant: "Play a Different Game"
Enter Randy Pitchford, whose Twitter feed has become a battlefield. Responding to complaints about stuttering and low frames, he first pushed solutions like DLSS and frame generation, analogizing: "I would not put a Ferrari engine in a monster truck and expect it to drive like a Ferrari." When users dismissed the advice as inadequate, Pitchford doubled down: "I'm sorry you don't like being told to use DLSS, but that is the way. If you're not happy using the tools available to you to improve frame rate and you're not happy with the frame rate you have, you should play a different game." He capped it with: "Please get a refund from Steam if you aren't happy."
This "very public crashout," as GamesRadar dubbed it, echoes Pitchford's pattern of engaging critics head-on. He insisted Borderlands 4 is a "premium game made for premium gamers," implying older PCs or low-spec setups aren't the target. While some appreciated the transparency, others saw it as tone-deaf, especially amid broader industry woes like Monster Hunter Wilds' launch stumbles.
Pitchford's Hot Takes History: The "Real Fans" Backlash and Beyond
Pitchford's social media escapades have long cast a shadow. The May 2025 "real fans" fiasco erupted when a fan begged him to keep the price under $80 amid industry hikes. Pitchford replied: "If you’re a real fan, you’ll find a way to make it happen," citing his minimum-wage days buying a $80 Sega game in 1991. The viral tweet sparked fury, with threats of piracy and accusations of elitism. IGN reported users pleading: "Please stop. Just apologize and move on."
He later clarified: "Nobody likes being taken for granted and it was not my intent," but doubled down by offering Tiny Tina's Wonderlands free to "our real fans who may be cost-sensitive," reigniting the fire.
Impact on Borderlands: Can the Franchise Bounce Back?
Pitchford's unfiltered style has undeniably tainted perceptions, with some boycotting despite the game's strengths. Yet, sales suggest success: pre-orders topped charts, and 22 million Borderlands 3 units indicate loyalty. Gearbox's roadmap—new classes, Pearlescent weapons—promises longevity, but addressing performance issues swiftly is key. PCGamesN noted early signs are "strong," but Pitchford's "freaking out" risks alienating the very fans driving records.
In a genre built on chaos, Pitchford embodies it—love him or loathe him, he's keeping Borderlands in the spotlight, for better or worse.
Hat Tips:
GamesRadar: https://www.gamesradar.com/games/borderlands/borderlands-4-boss-tells-players-please-get-a-refund-from-steam-if-you-arent-happy-as-randy-pitchford-continues-his-very-public-crashout-over-the-fpss-performance-woes/
IGN (Borderlands 4 Review): https://www.ign.com/articles/borderlands-4-review
OpenCritic (Borderlands 4 Reviews): https://opencritic.com/game/18111/borderlands-4
Forbes (Metacritic Comparison): https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultassi/2025/09/11/how-borderlands-4s-metacritic-score-stacks-up-against-the-other-games/
Metacritic (Borderlands 4): https://www.metacritic.com/game/borderlands-4/
PC Gamer (Steam Reviews): https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/borderlands-4-launches-to-mostly-negative-reviews-on-steam-thanks-to-widespread-performance-problems-and-crashes/
PCGamesN (Launch Reception): https://www.pcgamesn.com/borderlands-4/launch-reviews
IGN ("Real Fans" Controversy): https://www.ign.com/articles/borderlands-4-boss-randy-pitchford-addresses-real-fans-tweet-controversy-nobody-likes-being-taken-for-granted-and-it-was-not-my-intent
TheGamer (Real Fans Follow-Up): https://www.thegamer.com/borderlands-gearbox-randy-pitchford-real-fan-comments-social-media/
Vice (Outrage Over Pricing): https://www.vice.com/en/article/randy-pitchford-sparks-outrage-after-claiming-real-fans-will-figure-out-how-to-pay-80-for-borderlands-4/
TechSpot (Premium Gamers Quote): https://www.techspot.com/news/109487-gearbox-ceo-randy-pitchford-tells-borderlands-4-critics.html