Borderlands Boss Claims They're 'Working On The Big One'

Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford hasn't always had the best track record when it comes to business decisions, but he's consistently been an enthusiastic supporter of Gearbox's flagship franchise, "Borderlands." After a rumor leaked that "Borderlands 4" might be on the horizon, Pitchford sent out a series of bizarre tweets that has fans buzzing. In fact, he confirmed that Gearbox is currently working on "the big one."

All of this speculation seemingly kicked off when Gamereactor reported that a new "Borderlands" game might be in development. While Gamereactor predicted that the new "Borderlands" game would be a spin-off, Reddit took the rumor and ran with it. Fans noted that Gamereactor has had plenty of surprise gaming scoops in the past, but Redditors couldn't verify for sure if another "Borderlands" was on the way. Then, Randy Pitchford stepped in.

Pitchford took to Twitter to address the rumors head on. "I am told of rumors that Gearbox is 'assisting' or 'co-developing' another 'Borderlands' game (or a new spin-off game)," Pitchford wrote. "These rumors are NOT accurate. Gearbox is lead dev of any future games in the Borderlands franchise (or any Borderlands adjacent games) with no co-development." Pitchford didn't confirm that Gearbox was working on a new game, but his insistence that the company isn't co-developing the game felt odd to many gamers.

Pitchford elaborated on his initial tweet, saying, "More: We are definitely working on some amazing stuff that, I hope, will surprise and delight you." In the same tweet, Pitchford added, " Plug: if anyone out there has Skills-To-Pay-Bills and wants to get in on some 'Borderlands' action, we're working on the big one." 

It's true that Gearbox has many, many positions open on its career page, but is this new game really "the big one?" Players were quick to point out that Pitchford has also previously referred to "Borderlands 3" as "the big one." By responding to rumors of the next "Borderlands" game, it kind of looked like Pitchford was essentially confirming the development of a new "Borderlands" game.

Of course, it's hard to tell what Pitchford really meant by his tweet, or when gamers might see the fruits of Gearbox's labor. Gamers have been concerned about Gearbox since Embracer Group acquired Gearbox earlier this year. There's typically a shuffling of responsibilities when developers merge, which could mean a longer development process for games as the team adjusts. Hopefully, the acquisition will help settle payment discrepancies at Gearbox, which upset developers when "Borderlands 3" released. In the meantime, players can revisit the re-released edition of "Tales from the Borderlands," and dream of the loot that awaits in Gearbox's next unannounced project.