The new Borderlands 4 trailer that Randy Pitchford wasn't supposed to tell everyone about is going to debut at The Game Awards this week

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Someone check on Gearbox's marketing department, make sure they're okay.

Borderlands 4 teaser image
(Image credit: Gearbox Software)
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December 9, 2024: Randy Pitchford posted on X (again) on Monday to confirm that the trailer he wasn't supposed to talk about will include gameplay and will debut at The Game Awards on Thursday, December 12.

Original story: Consummate poster and CEO of Borderlands developer Gearbox Randy Pitchford has hinted that a Borderlands 4 trailer is in the works. And by hinting, I mean he got excited and yelled it from the virtual rooftops again.

Pitchford has a bit of a habit of being… let's call it impassioned. There was the catastrophic Borderlands movie, which he posted through, and he has overall just has a habit of blurting out things he maybe shouldn't be. Like when he vaguely tweeted about Borderlands 4's potentially-seamless loading screen, before disintegrating into a pile of old robes like Obi-Wan Kenobi, or, uh, just straight-up announced that Borderlands 4 was in full production swing to IGN back in July.

Now there's a new entry among the things Pitchford 'just tweeted out'. A new Borderlands 4 trailer is in the works, hopefully one that'll show us some gameplay. Posting to X, Pitchford writes: "Cooking up a new Borderlands 4 trailer and it's badass af. Latest render is knocking me out. I'm not supposed to talk about it yet, but idgaf. I'M FREAKING OUT, yo."

"I CAN'T WAIT TO RELEASE THIS F'ING TRAILER!" he later added, also confirming to one fan who asked if he was "trying to edge" them, "yes." You heard it here first, Borderlands fans, Randy Pitchford is edging you.

Particularly amusing is Gearbox's official account, seemingly trying to take advantage of Pitchford's overenthusiasm while also dealing with the fact that its big reveal has been sabotaged by a CEO who is just, like, really excited about his videogame, you guys. "Looks like we'll see a new trailer real soon!" the account posts, presumably through a teeth-gritted smile.

In a separate thread, Pitchford also reveals that the last frame of the teaser trailer is also the first frame of the trailer-trailer, adding "yes, I'm a troll and a tease. Deal with it." To which Gearbox's social, pulling its hair out, yelps "SPOILERS", while the Borderlands account cries: "RANDY?!"

I mean, look. There's every chance this is just some chemically-concocted marketing strategy brewed in a lab. I am, after all, writing about it on our website. At the same time, Pitchford—as you might surmise from following one of the many links above—has a recorded history of running his mouth with these sorts of things. Really, if anything's to be lauded, it's the energy redirection of whoever's running these socials, as they run with the bag instead of cracking open a bottle of whiskey.

Still, Pitchford being active on social media does have its upsides, when he's not getting into slapfights with people on X and comparing Gearbox to the Beatles. Recently, a terminally-ill Borderlands fan was able to be flown out to see an early build because of it, so—there's an argument to be made that being able to go and start an argument with the CEO of a major games company whenever you want is, uhm, helpful. Anyway, my thoughts go to Gearbox's marketing department, may they make it through the next few weeks with normal blood pressure levels.

Harvey Randall
Harvey Randall
Staff Writer

Harvey's history with games started when he first begged his parents for a World of Warcraft subscription aged 12, though he's since been cursed with Final Fantasy 14-brain and a huge crush on G'raha Tia. He made his start as a freelancer, writing for websites like Techradar, The Escapist, Dicebreaker, The Gamer, Into the Spine—and of course, PC Gamer. He'll sink his teeth into anything that looks interesting, though he has a soft spot for RPGs, soulslikes, roguelikes, deckbuilders, MMOs, and weird indie titles. He also plays a shelf load of TTRPGs in his offline time. Don't ask him what his favourite system is, he has too many.

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