Summary
- Steam's dominance in the PC gaming market remains strong despite previous predictions of its demise by Randy Pitchford.
- Gearbox's stance on Steam has shifted with the announcement of Borderlands 4, now supporting the platform.
- Randy Pitchford acknowledges his previous misjudgment of Epic's ability to challenge Steam and hopes for more competition in the future.
Now that Borderlands 4 is coming, Randy Pitchford has decided to walk back statements he made predicting Steam's demise. Randy Pitchford is known for making controversial statements that can get fans riled up. A couple of years ago, the focus of these statements was Steam, which has built up plenty of goodwill among the gaming community as a whole. People have noticed that with Borderlands 4 coming, Gearbox and Pitchford's stance on the platform has changed.
Steam has been the strongest PC gaming platform for a long time now. For many people, the use of Steam has become synonymous with PC gaming, despite alternative platforms like the Xbox Store. This dominance in the gaming market could be regarded as a threat to companies that are vying for the same type of space, like Epic Games, and back in 2019, that was especially the case when Borderlands 3 was announced as an Epic Games Store exclusive on PC. Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford gave a fiery defense of the exclusivity when there was pushback, predicting the fall of Steam, but it appears Pitchford considers that a mistake.
Borderlands Digital Release Coming Within Weeks of Its Disastrous Theatrical Run
Borderlands is set to make its digital debut just a few weeks after its theatrical release.
Randy Pitchford has changed his tune about the death of Steam. After the announcement of Borderlands 4, gamers pointed out the irony of Steam quietly showing up on the list of platforms the title would support. Pitchford had plenty to say in response, rivaling the length of his last Twitter rant about the Borderlands series. After reflecting, Randy Pitchford states that Epic Games failed to press its advantage to corner the PC market and cut off Steam's "effective monopoly in the west," putting forward the fact that he is in charge of a business and wants to make decisions for the success of his products.
Randy Pitchford Revisits Stance On Steam
Pitchford appears somewhat remorseful, stating that his hopes for Epic were "misplaced or overly optimistic," going all in on his support for Borderlands 4 on Steam and on all possible platforms. He emphasizes the conflict he feels over his place as a Steam/Steam Deck user who has become familiar with the platform's perks and as an executive who sees the disadvantages of relying on the platform.
Although Pitchford has acknowledged that he may have been wrong to bet on Epic overtaking the PC gaming scene, he expresses his hopes that "Epic keeps up the fight and makes headway." He discusses the way that he expects Epic to give gamers stronger incentives to use the platform so that Steam is eventually faced with entirely viable competitors. Pitchford ends on a note reminding fans he is a gamer, saying he "will be on all the platforms."
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
Borderlands 4 brings intense action, badass Vault Hunters, and billions of wild and deadly weapons to an all-new planet ruled by a ruthless tyrant.
Crash into Kairos as one of four new Vault Hunters seeking wealth and glory. Wield powerful Action Skills, customize your build with deep skill trees, and dominate enemies with dynamic movement abilities.
Break free from the oppressive Timekeeper, a ruthless dictator who dominates the masses from on high. Now a world-altering catastrophe threatens his perfect Order, unleashing Mayhem across the planet.
- Franchise
- Borderlands
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
