Take-Two Boss Strauss Zelnick Says Borderlands Chief Randy Pitchford ‘Can Be Controversial at Times — Sometimes Intentionally, Sometimes Unintentionally,’ but ‘I Still Love Him to Death’

Borderlands 4 will cost $70, publisher 2K Games confirmed in June. That seemingly innocuous fact was big news after the price of the upcoming looter shooter was thrust into the headlines when Gearbox development chief Randy Pitchford sparked a backlash with a series of controversial tweets.

The outspoken Pitchford had responded to a fan who had expressed concern about the prospect of paying $80 for Borderlands 4, saying: “if you’re a real fan, you’ll find a way to make it happen.”

A) Not my call. B) If you’re a real fan, you’ll find a way to make it happen. My local game store had Starflight for Sega Genesis for $80 in 1991 when I was just out of high school working minimum wage at an ice cream parlor in Pismo Beach and I found a way to make it happen.— Randy Pitchford (@DuvalMagic) May 14, 2025

Pitchford ended up having to address the negativity surrounding his comments, which some suggested might have harmed Borderlands 4’s chances of success. But this was hardly the latest drama revolving around Randy Pitchford, who often gives the press plenty to talk about whenever he addresses hot topics within the video game industry.

So, in an interview with Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Gearbox parent company Take-Two, ahead of the company’s latest (and impressive) financial results, I asked whether he has a mini heart attack whenever Pitchford tweets anything.

In his response, Zelnick admitted Pitchford can be a controversial figure, and even suggested some of his antics are deliberate, but ultimately he’s a big fan.

“I love Randy, first of all. Let me just say that on the record,” Zelnick began. “And I love his big personality. I love his passion and he is one of the all time great game makers. He also can be controversial at times — sometimes intentionally, sometimes unintentionally. I still love him to death.”

Some had expected Take-Two to follow Nintendo’s (and at that time, Microsoft’s) lead and make the jump to $80 for Borderlands 4, which it’s now decided will hold the line at $70. I asked Zelnick why that was the right decision for the looter shooter, and his response was along similar lines to his answer to 2K’s Mafia: The Old Country being set at $50.

“We've always engaged in variable pricing and we really want to make sure that the consumer's experience of the title is that Borderlands 4 is a great, great game, which we believe it is, and that we're offering a terrific value at the same time,” Zelnick said.

Zelnick has used this sort of response to answer questions about GTA 6’s price (some believe it will be $80, some as high as $100). “We always want to make sure that we deliver way more value than whatever we charge consumers, because we think of the consumer's experience as an intersection of the thing itself and what you paid for it,” Zelnick said, talking generally of Take-Two’s strategy.

“So we just want to make sure we're always delivering way more value than whatever we charge.”

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.