Randy Pitchford insists Borderlands 4's new release date is "100% the result of confidence in the game", not an attempt to dodge the existential threat of GTA 6

Among overmuch speculation, Mr Pitchford has travel guardant to wide the air.

Following the announcement that Borderlands 4 was having its merchandise day moved forward, and overmuch speculation arsenic to wherefore this was happening, Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford has travel guardant to emphasise that this determination was made wholly owed to Borderlands 4's ain merits, alternatively than an effort to dodge contention from GTA6 oregon different large competitor.

Taking to Twitter, Randy Pitchford posted the following: "Borderlands 4 shipping aboriginal is 100% the effect of assurance successful the crippled and improvement trajectory backed by existent tasks and bug find/fix rates. Our determination is virtually 0% astir immoderate different product’s existent oregon theoretical motorboat date."

Just to beryllium clear, erstwhile Pitchford speaks astir "theoretical" motorboat dates he's refering to GTA6, which inactive hasn't got a steadfast merchandise day retired determination successful the wild. This has resulted is immoderate hesitancy from devs and publishers successful really placing down a merchandise day successful the autumn season, arsenic you could aftermath up 1 time and find your AAA merchandise is present a fewer days retired from the user achromatic spread that is GTA6.

But let's instrumentality Randy Pitchford astatine his connection - wherefore not? Let's database retired the pros of moving a merchandise day forward. One, it's a chill happening to do, and if you're a Borderlands 4 instrumentality it's a large PR move. You get your amusive crippled a spot sooner, who wouldn't privation that? Also, if Borderlands 4 truly is shaping up exceptionally good successful presumption of late-stage goals and bug fixes, past hey, wherefore not? It's astir 2 weeks of other clip that players volition beryllium capable to leap successful and bask Borderlands 4 earlier being tempted distant by thing else.

It's besides worthy noting that aboriginal September is an unfastened extremity successful presumption of merchandise windows. There's not overmuch astatine each presently announced for that information of the twelvemonth but for worldly similar Terminator 2D: No Fate oregon Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion. Both of which mightiness beryllium astonishing games, and I'm definite they are, but it's not arguable to accidental that they won't beryllium eating up excessively overmuch of the Borderlands audience. If Gearbox and Randy privation to determination the crippled guardant conscionable to get their chill caller crippled successful people's hands earlier (which for what it's worthy is thing I tin ideate Randy earnestly wanting, to his credit), past it's not arsenic if Borderlands would beryllium risking little income by stepping connected anyone's turf here.

Cards connected the table, I bash inactive bash judge there's merit to the mentation that Borderlands 4 whitethorn beryllium dodging a large merchandise similar GTA6 by moving forward, but besides I don't deliberation Randy is lying astatine each erstwhile helium says the game's moving guardant owed to assurance successful the crippled and the enactment his squad has done. Ultimately, adjacent if this were an effort to swerve distant from competition, it's not thing that would beryllium worthy doing unless the crippled could merchandise earlier successful a polished state.

So determination we person it, Randy's stepped up and cleared the air. Whether you judge him oregon support your tin foil chapeau connected is up to you. No substance wherever you stand, you'll beryllium capable to bask Borderlands 4 erstwhile it launches connected September 12. You tin besides cheque retired the Borderlands State of Play aboriginal contiguous if you're truthful inclined.