Gearbox’s fan-favorite looter-shooter is taking fire—from some good ol’ fashioned Borderlands review bombing.
Borderlands games are being review bombed on Steam, and the timing isn’t great. With Borderlands 4 slated for launch this September, you’d expect excitement. Instead, fans are flooding the Steam pages of all Borderlands with angry reviews—not over gameplay, but over Take-Two Interactive’s freshly updated End User License Agreement (EULA), which has raised more than a few eyebrows.
What’s got folks so riled up? According to a widely shared Reddit thread and a now-viral YouTube video by creator Hellfire, players are concerned that the new EULA gives Take-Two root-level access to their machines under the guise of anti-cheat software. That’s right—words like “spyware” are being tossed around, and some fans are genuinely worried the agreement allows for personal data collection, including things like usernames, passwords, IP addresses, and even browser histories.
Cue the digital torches and pitchforks.
“I don’t feel comfortable with the terms of service,” one Steam reviewer wrote. Another bluntly called the game “spyware.” Reviews for the Borderlands trilogy have taken a nosedive into “Mixed” territory as players vent their frustrations. Some even claim mods are now a bannable offense, despite the series being largely co-op or single-player.
To be fair, some players believe this might be a bit of a storm in a Pandora teacup. Critics of the backlash point out that much of the EULA isn’t drastically different from earlier versions, or even from other publishers’ standard agreements. And as of now, there’s no confirmed kernel-level snooping happening.
But hey, when you combine privacy concerns and a new entry in the series that might cost $80… things get messy.
Speaking of Borderlands 4…
Gearbox officially announced Borderlands 4 is coming September 12, 2025, and yes—it looks rad. Players will explore a new planet called Kairos, parkour their way through enemies with new movement mechanics like gliding and grappling, and team up with friends across platforms thanks to full crossplay support.
But instead of high-fives and hype, the conversation has shifted to something much more divisive: the price.
CEO Randy Pitchford stirred the pot during an online exchange when a fan questioned the rumored $80 price tag. His response? “If you’re a real fan, you’ll find a way to make it happen.”
Cue the sound of millions of gamers rolling their eyes at once.
Pitchford later clarified (sort of) during a PAX East panel that the price hasn’t been officially set yet, and that the doubled development budget of Borderlands 4 compared to Borderlands 3 could justify a higher price. He emphasized that Gearbox wants players to feel like they’re getting value, no matter the price point. But let’s just say… the “real fan” line isn’t helping.
In a surprise twist, indie publisher Devolver Digital even jumped into the fray, using the controversy to promote its own Borderlands-style shooter Mycopunk, cheekily tweeting: “You’re gonna be able to buy Mycopunk for you and three of your friends for the price of one copy of Borderlands 4.”
Pitchford quote-tweeted that too, joking: “Mycopunk is cheaper than a point of meth—probably has fewer side effects, too!”
Some will say Randy should leave this to the marketing team. We say let Randy speak more!
TL;DR: Borderlands Is in Turbulence
Between the privacy panic over Take-Two’s EULA and the $80 price tag chatter, Borderlands 4 is launching under a cloud of controversy. Long-time fans feel caught in a tug-of-war between wanting to support a beloved franchise and being skeptical of corporate decisions that feel… off.
At the same time, it’s clear Gearbox has poured serious resources into the game. If Borderlands 4 sticks the landing, some of this noise might fade. But for now, the Vault Hunters are revolting—and not just in the “burning psychos with acid rockets” kind of way.
Atleast for now we’ve got plenty of Palia content to keep us busy!
