Borderlands 4: Commercial success contrasted with controversy on PC

The launch of Borderlands 4 has generated positive commercial results, breaking series records in less than 24 hours. However, the debut was marked by performance issues for PC players and a public defense from Gearbox Software co-founder, Randy Pitchford, who responded to community complaints on social media. 

The situation began after reports of below-par performance in the PC version surfaced on platforms like Steam and X. In response, Pitchford stated that "less than one percent of one percent" of PC players reported "valid performance issues" through customer support. He suggested to dissatisfied fans to "please request a refund" for the game. 

The controversy continued with Pitchford responding to player comments questioning his recommendations. To a player using a GPU 5080, he replied: 

"This is not the situation, and you are being dishonest. If your priority is FPS, then use the tools to achieve a 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 from yours. The options are there." 

Pitchford also dismissed comparisons of Borderlands 4 performance with other games. To a fan who mentioned Battlefield 6 optimization, he responded: 

"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?" 

And regarding the comparison with Cyberpunk 2077: 

"Cyberpunk is a different software and has been five years in development. You are welcome to play it. You can also get help adjusting your balance between FPS, resolution, and features with BL4 if you want. Would you like help tuning with your personal specification?" 

The controversy sparked by Randy Pitchford on social media contrasts with the commercial success of Borderlands 4, showing a disconnect between community reception and studio leadership's vision.