Borderlands 3 hasn’t even hit the shelves yet, but it seems the upcoming Gearbox title is already fraught with controversy.
Gearbox top dog Randy Pitchford has come under fire a few times in the last few months, with the CEO hitting the headlines after being accused of assault and for allegedly ghosting Rhys actor, Troy Baker.
The game also raised eyebrows when it was announced as an Epic Game Store exclusive, leading long-standing fans of the series to review-bomb other Borderlands titles on Steam.
Finally though it seems the playerbase has had enough with Borderlands 3, with the hashtag “#BOYCOTTBORDERLANDS3” trending on Twitter.
This time around the controversy stems from YouTuber SupMatto and a very public issue with Gearbox’s parent company, 2K Games [via NewsWeek].
According to SupMatto’s version of events, confrontation between the two parties arose on April 29, when leaked Borderlands 3 details were covered by SupMatto and other content creators.
SupMatto then claims that on July 25, he was approached by two private investigators at his home, apparently hired by 2K Games.
Reminder that Take-Two has done this before. And they'll get away with it again because they ride out the storm better than anyone. #boycottborderlands3 pic.twitter.com/lo6UEsv0kh
— Swirly (@haf990) August 7, 2019
The duo supposedly questioned him about different Borderlands leaks and gameplay details, with SupMatto saying in a video: “I was very tense, as many of you could imagine, having two people in suits you don’t know show up at your home.”
SupMatto then claimed to receive multiple copyright strikes on YouTube from sources within 2K.
His Discord channel has been shut down for being “involved in selling, promoting or distributing cheats, hacks or cracked accounts.” SupMatto was reportedly offering Borderlands 3 leaks on a private Discord channel and asking for a $5 YouTube membership in return.
>Gearbox half-assing Aliens years back.
— Atomic Alicorn (@atomic_alicorn) August 7, 2019
>Epic Games timed exclusive from Steam.
>Pitchford's meltdowns on Twitter, among other scandals.
>Take-Two muscling out an enthusiastic YouTuber with DCMAs and hired goons irl because "muh spoilers."
See? I told y'all. #boycottborderlands3
However, 2K Games has since refuted the claims, saying they’re “incomplete” and “in some cases untrue.” A spokesperson told IGN:
“Take Two and 2K take the security and confidentiality of trade secrets very seriously. The action we’ve taken is the result of a 10-month investigation and a history of this creator profiting from breaking our policies, leaking confidential information about our product, and infringing our copyright…
“The information he’s sharing about the situation is incomplete, and in some cases untrue. Not only were many of his actions illegal, but they were negatively impacting the experience of other content creators and our fans in anticipation for the game.”
Take 2 sent private investigators to scare a youtuber who was releasing what is publicly accessible information about Borderlands 3 to stop what he was doing.. soon after his discord was taken down and his YT channel received numerous false copyright claims.#boycottborderlands3 pic.twitter.com/sggoxUtz5a
— 43% Battery (@40_40vision) August 7, 2019
More on this story as it continues.
Featured Image Credit: Gearbox