Take-Two blames “lower” than expected Borderlands 4 sales on troubled PC launch. Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford insisted it was “pretty damn optimal.”

In the wide-ranging interview below GTA 6 delay this weekadmitted Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick Borderland 4sales were “lower” than expected – the decline was blamed on “challenges” with the much-criticized PC version, which Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford claimed had “some real issues” despite significant performance complaints.

Borderlands 4 was released in September to largely positive reviews, but quickly received a “negative” rating on Steam as customers criticized the PC’s poor performance. In response, a committed Pitchford hit social media claiming that the PC version was “pretty optimal” and had only “a few real issues” that affected “a very, very small percentage of users.” Still, Pitchford said developer Gearbox will undertake “significant” work to improve the platform’s performance.

And now Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has specifically cited Borderlands 4’s PC launch as the reason for “lower” than expected sales. “Critical acclaim [the game received] it was great and we are really happy with the release” – Zelnick said Christopher Dring of TheGameBusiness in an interview coinciding with yesterday’s GTA6 announcement delay.

“Similarly,” he continued, “there were some challenges with the Steam release. Gearbox has met those challenges and will continue to do so. So, in terms of units sold outright, the numbers were a little lower than we would have liked. We think it will do great over time.”

Back to the start, Digital foundry identified “significant performance issues” in its analysis of Borderlands 4 across all platforms. Therefore, Gearbox’s decision was not a complete surprise to indefinitely delay the release of the game on Switch 2saying it needs “additional development and polish time” to “deliver the best possible experience for our fans.”