Borderlands 4 is off to a roaring start, but it certainly isn’t a perfect one. Following its release on September 12, the latest entry in the Borderlands franchise was met with generally positive reviews from fans and critics alike. Borderlands 4’s Steam page tells a very different story, however, and specific comments from Gearbox officials aren’t helping as much as they perhaps intended.
By most accounts, Borderlands 4 is a significant step in the right direction for the franchise. The open world is being met with praise, the gameplay and systems are new and improved, and Borderlands 4’s new narrative direction is a much-needed course correction. Despite those improvements, however, the game is currently being review-bombed on Steam, and it has everything to do with the hefty system requirements necessary to run Borderlands 4.
Borderlands 4’s Steam Review-Bombing, Explained
The issue of Borderlands 4’s review-bombing matters because it can distort perceptions of potential buyers despite critical praise. That said, Borderlands 4 is being review-bombed on Steam for two primary reasons, the first being the state of its release on the platform and on PC at large. Additionally, while Gearbox is taking steps to combat the issues, some players are upset with how the studio (and its CEO) is going about it.
While players have known about Borderlands 4’s PC requirements for some time, that knowledge hasn’t exactly dulled its impact, especially since many players are confused about why the game is so demanding in the first place.
Borderlands 4’s Technical State Is the Primary Suspect in Review-Bombing
Borderlands 4 is quite technically demanding, but why that is the case is currently a hot-button topic among fans. Some are confused by the game’s performance considering its art style, assuming it requires less graphical fidelity, but others think the issues are more deeply rooted. Many of those fans believe the problems stem from Borderlands 4's engine, Unreal Engine 5, as many other games utilizing that engine also have technical issues.
It’s important to note, however, that while it’s absolutely understandable to feel Borderlands 4’s performance isn’t meeting an acceptable standard, there should be no doubt that this is the most technically complex game in the franchise. Borderlands 4’s new features, like its open world map and very few loading screens, likely require some serious processing power. While that doesn’t excuse poor performance, it does explain it.
Borderlands 4’s Technical Issues Are the Culprit, but Some Fans See Gearbox’s Comments as an Accomplice
The chaser adding to the dissatisfaction comes from Gearbox’s responses, particularly about the technical problems. Gearbox’s CEO, Randy Pitchford, is one of the more involved studio heads in gaming, and in turn, he’s no stranger to controversial comments. Before the release of Borderlands 4, when the pricing was still uncertain, Pitchford's divisive Borderlands statement irked fans by saying that "real fans" would pay any price for the title.
Now, as Gearbox settles into the Borderlands 4 post-launch maintenance period for the game, a well-intentioned comment from Pitchford has added fuel to the negativity fire. As Gearbox released tips and guides to improve players’ performance from their end, Pitchford likened players running Borderlands 4 on older hardware to driving a monster truck with a leaf blower’s motor.
Gearbox Working on Fixes Amid Anger at Borderlands 4 Performance
While that particular comment drew adverse reactions, it’s clear Pitchford and Gearbox are working hard to improve the Borderlands 4 experience for players across all platforms. Gearbox has already released a patch for Borderlands 4 to address issues and multiple guides for PC players to optimize their performance. Additionally, in the same post, Pitchford encouraged fans to refund the game if they found their technical troubles were making the experience feel subpar.
Beyond PC, Gearbox is also currently working to change Borderlands 4’s FOV limit on consoles, an issue causing gamepad players to experience motion sickness in some cases. In the end, while it’s unfortunate that the game, which otherwise seems to be received well, is being reviewed poorly, it does seem to be spurring the developers to make meaningful changes to Borderlands 4. If Gearbox can keep addressing these issues, Borderlands 4 could outgrow its rocky start and become the game fans have been waiting for.
Borderlands 4
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 82 /100 Critics Rec: 88%
- Released
- September 12, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- Gearbox Software
- Publisher(s)
- 2K
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op, Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- Yes - all platforms
- Prequel(s)
- Borderlands 3, Borderlands 2, Borderlands
- Franchise
- Borderlands
- Number of Players
- 1-4 players
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Unsupported
- PC Release Date
- September 12, 2025
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- September 12, 2025
- PS5 Release Date
- September 12, 2025
- Nintendo Switch 2 Release Date
- October 3, 2025
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
- Local Co-Op Support
- Yes
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
