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Dying Light: The Beast
Borderlands 4 review
Battlefield 6
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Borderlands
Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford says Borderlands 4 performance isn’t bad, your expectations are just too high: “If you’re not 4k stubborn and just want to have a great, fun time with higher perf, please consider running at 1440p resolution”

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Baldur’s Gate 3 publishing director feels “bad” for Borderlands 4 devs “who are just trying really hard to make players happy” as Randy Pitchford fights back against performance criticism

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Borderlands 4 boss tells players “please get a refund from Steam if you aren’t happy” as Randy Pitchford continues his very public crashout over the FPS’s performance woes

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Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford continues to crash out over Borderlands 4 as fans compare the new game’s PC performance to Battlefield 6 and Cyberpunk 2077: “Would you like help tuning?”

Anna Koselke

17 September 2025

“You are welcome to play it”

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(Image credit: 2K)

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.

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Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford says Borderlands 4 performance isn’t bad, your expectations are just too high: “If you’re not 4k stubborn and just want to have a great, fun time with higher perf, please consider running at 1440p resolution”

Baldur’s Gate 3 publishing director feels “bad” for Borderlands 4 devs “who are just trying really hard to make players happy” as Randy Pitchford fights back against performance criticism

Borderlands 4 boss tells players “please get a refund from Steam if you aren’t happy” as Randy Pitchford continues his very public crashout over the FPS’s performance woes

“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.”

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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.

See more PC Gaming News

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Anna Koselke

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Staff Writer

After spending years with her head in various fantastical realms’ clouds, Anna studied English Literature and then Medieval History at the University of Edinburgh, going on to specialize in narrative design and video game journalism as a writer. She has written for various publications since her postgraduate studies, including Dexerto, Fanbyte, GameSpot, IGN, PCGamesN, and more. When she’s not frantically trying to form words into coherent sentences, she’s probably daydreaming about becoming a fairy druid and befriending every animal or she’s spending a thousand (more) hours traversing the Underdark in Baldur’s Gate 3. If you spot her away from her PC, you’ll always find Anna with a fantasy book, a handheld video game console of some sort, and a Tamagotchi or two on hand.

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Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford says Borderlands 4 performance isn’t bad, your expectations are just too high: “If you’re not 4k stubborn and just want to have a great, fun time with higher perf, please consider running at 1440p resolution”

Baldur’s Gate 3 publishing director feels “bad” for Borderlands 4 devs “who are just trying really hard to make players happy” as Randy Pitchford fights back against performance criticism

Borderlands 4 boss tells players “please get a refund from Steam if you aren’t happy” as Randy Pitchford continues his very public crashout over the FPS’s performance woes

Gearbox and Randy Pitchford aim a fire hose at the Borderlands 4 PC port, share “optimization guide” and a tip to “boost your performance” which is, big surprise, enabling DLSS performance with frame gen

Borderlands 4 Steam reviews start at 41% positive as early players report performance issues and crashes: “Randy I sold my car for this”

Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford claims “less than one percent of one percent” of Borderlands 4 PC players reported “valid performance issues” via customer support, says “I have personally helped users go from 30FPS to 90FPS+”

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