Gearbox is reportedly receiving favorable reactions regarding the narrative of Borderlands 4, and true to form, CEO Randy Pitchford is sharing his insights about the game’s release. During a panel at PAX Australia 2025, Pitchford, along with Gearbox’s global creative executive officer Andrew Reiner and narrative director Sam Winkler, discussed the launch of Borderlands 4, focusing on the positive feedback concerning the storyline. “It’s been great. It’s been really good, I’ll be honest, I’m really happy with it,” Winkler expressed.
Winkler also shared that he feels “ridiculously proud” of the story team behind the action RPG, and celebrated the numerous contributors who helped craft a plot that is, thankfully, much more coherent than previous entries.
Pitchford remarked, “Isn’t it weird to ship a game where the biggest complaint isn’t about how we messed up the story?” to which Winkler replied, “Yeah, it’s a relief, for sure.” Pitchford’s comments indicate he found it surprisingly comforting that most critiques from players of Borderlands 4 center around technical issues, particularly for those gaming on PC. “Everyone’s like, ‘Nah, story’s awesome, characters, we love it, and gameplay’s great.’ And we’re like, ‘God, I know there’s gotta be, you know, OK, let’s get technical.’ Cool. That’s cool. I’m happy to live in that world,” Pitchford noted. Although his suggestion that PC issues might be exaggerated could have caused some frustration, Gearbox has been diligently rolling out patches.
While making assumptions based on these brief remarks can be tricky, it’s reasonable to infer that Pitchford and his team are viewing the narrative of Borderlands 4 against the backdrop of Borderlands 3’s story, which was met with considerable criticism.
For me, these games are a great way to connect with friends who are far away while engaging in chaotic shootouts, but I recognize there are dedicated fans who appreciate a well-structured plot, and thankfully, Borderlands 4 appears to deliver in this regard more than its predecessors. “You and the team just crushed it on the storytelling,” Pitchford complimented Winkler.
As for pricing, Pitchford mentioned we would need to wait a minimum of five years for a major discount on Borderlands 4, but surprisingly, just one month after its launch, the game has already seen a 20% price reduction on Steam.