Although the recent Borderlands 4 launch saw Gearbox Software's new game smashing series records in under 24 hours, it's been a rocky few days for the community as studio co-founder Randy Pitchford argues against complaints of poor performance... and now, comparisons to other titles.
The situation started after reports of less-than-optimal performance for PC players sprouted up online, on storefronts like Steam and social media – including X, where Pitchford has been responding to complaints with advice, albeit in an arguably defensive tone. Stating that "less than one percent of one percent" of PC players reported "valid performance issues" via customer support, he instructed unhappy fans to "please get a refund" for the game.
Unfortunately, his very public crashout didn't end there. Pitchford has continued to reply to disappointed players – and apparently, still is. Following up on his initial thread on PC players, which has since turned into a massive mess of back and forth, the Gearbox lead tells a fan they're being "dishonest" in a new response.
"This isn't the situation, and you are being dishonest," Pitchford tells the player, who was questioning the developer's recommendations to hit higher FPS with a 5080 GPU. "If your priority is FPS, then use the tools to get higher FPS. If your priority is input latency, then you make other decisions. If your priority is graphics features or resolution, there are trade-offs. My choices will be different than yours. The options are there."
I would absolutely expect BF6 to be built to prioritize fps more than BL4. One is a competitive shooter, the other is a campaign looter shooter. Would you like help tuning with your personal specification?September 16, 2025
The studio head also rejects comparisons between Borderlands 4 and other new games, like Battlefield 6, writing in a follow-up to a fan who says the online title from EA ran better for them than the looter shooter, "I would absolutely expect BF6 to be built to prioritize FPS more than BL4. One is a competitive shooter, the other is a campaign looter shooter. Would you like help tuning with your personal specifications?"
Cyberpunk is a different piece of software and is five years old. You are welcome to play it. You can also get help tuning your balance between FPS, resolution and features with BL4 if you like. Would you like help tuning with your personal specification?September 16, 2025
Pitchford responds to other notable comparisons, too, like one player's, which points out that Cyberpunk 2077 runs on their PC in "ultra" with 60 FPS. "Cyberpunk is a different piece of software and is five years old. You are welcome to play it. You can also get help tuning your balance between FPS, resolution, and features with BL4 if you like. Would you like help tuning with your personal specifications?"
Similarly, Pitchford tells another fan, "Cyberpunk is a different piece of software. You are welcome to play it. You can also get help tuning your balance between FPS, resolution, and features with BL4 if you like. Would you like help tuning with your personal specifications?" Yep, almost a copy-paste situation – word-for-word "advice" and dubbing Cyberpunk 2077 a "different," older "piece of software."
Other posts from Pitchford on the thread see him assuring players, "With high-end, modern hardware, it's absolutely possible to get well over 100 FPS with this game," further saying, "Not everyone has the same priorities between frame rate, resolution, and graphics features, which is why we make the options." Things are… a bit all over the place, putting it lightly, and it's safe to say that fans aren't exactly thrilled with the Gearbox boss' replies.
Here's hoping things smooth over. Our own Borderlands 4 review describes the new Gearbox title as "undeniably an excellent looter shooter," so it's safe to say that aside from these online hiccups and performance issues, it could stand as one of the best Borderlands games.
Playing through the new action RPG yourself? Be sure to check our Borderlands 4 tips for a smooth start in Kairos.
