In the world of video games, few figures spark as much discussion as Randy Pitchford, the outspoken head of Gearbox Software. His recent comments regarding the potential $80 price tag for Borderlands 4 ignited a fresh wave of controversy, with many fans reacting negatively to his suggestion that "If you’re a real fan, you’ll find a way to make it happen." This sentiment, shared in a tweet from May 2025, led to widespread speculation that such remarks could harm the game's success.
Strauss Zelnick on Randy Pitchford's Personality
Given Pitchford's history of provocative statements, IGN recently questioned Strauss Zelnick, the CEO of Take-Two Interactive (Gearbox's parent company), about whether he feared another scandalous tweet from the developer. Zelnick, however, offered a robust defense and expressed strong personal admiration for Pitchford.
"First of all, I love Randy. I want that to be officially said," Zelnick stated. "I love his vibrant personality. I appreciate his passion, he's one of the greatest game creators of all time. Sometimes he can be controversial — sometimes consciously, sometimes not. But I still love him madly."
Take-Two's Pricing Strategy for Borderlands 4
Despite Pitchford's earlier comments, Take-Two has confirmed that Borderlands 4 will not follow the trend set by some new releases from Nintendo and Microsoft, which have adopted an $80 price point. Instead, the game will be available for $70.
Zelnick explained that Take-Two always employs a flexible pricing strategy, aiming to ensure players feel they are getting excellent value for their money. "We have always used flexible pricing and we want customers to perceive Borderlands 4 as a great game that we sincerely believe in, while also getting great value for their money," Zelnick elaborated. "We look at the user experience as a combination of product quality and price. Our job is always to give more than we ask."
This pricing philosophy extends to other highly anticipated Take-Two projects, including Grand Theft Auto VI, which has seen rumors of prices ranging from $80 to $100. For Zelnick, the critical factor is always that the player's experience fully justifies the cost.
For fans eagerly awaiting the next installment in the chaotic shooter-looter series, this means Borderlands 4 will launch on PC (Steam, Epic Games Store), Xbox Series, and PlayStation 5 on September 12. Nintendo Switch 2 players will see the game arrive shortly after, on October 3. The game will also include Russian text localization.
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