Saber Interactive's upcoming Rideshare "Stimulator" trailer features a narrator who makes a reference to "randy" passengers, which is a nod to Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford. This reference stems from a humorous incident involving Pitchford and a drive left at Medieval Times, which was explored by his colleagues. The underlying motivation for the reference relates to tensions following Embracer Group's acquisition of Gearbox in 2021 for .3 billion and subsequent downsizing, leading to Gearbox's sale to Take-Two for 0 million. Pitchford later indicated that the narrative for Borderlands 4 was inspired by the sale of Gearbox, and the game includes critiques of Embracer Group, such as a location called Embracer's Bluff. Saber Interactive CEO Matt Kartch expressed disappointment over Pitchford's shift in loyalty, highlighting the rapid change in relationships following the sale.
Anticipation for the first story expansion of Borderlands 4 is high, particularly due to the enjoyable base game experience. The expansion features characters like Ellie and introduces a new playable character, C4SH, a robotic gambler. Players will join forces with Moxxi's daughter and Ellie to confront a cosmic threat in the new region, Whispering Glacier, while seeking an alien monolith and exploring the Vault of the Damned. C4SH has unique abilities that enhance gameplay, including building 'Fortune' stacks and using various action skills. However, the expansion has received 'mostly negative' reviews on Steam, with only 33% of reviewers rating it positively, largely due to its pricing. The expansion is priced at .99 / £26.99, which many players feel is too high for the content offered, especially when compared to other games that provide more substantial gameplay for similar prices. The bundling of the new character with the story content has also contributed to dissatisfaction, as not all players may be interested in both elements. The expansion is available on Steam and included in the Super Deluxe Edition bundle.