Is Borderlands 4 Returning to Steam After Epic Store Exclusivity?

Randy Pitchford’s Prediction and Response

Borderlands 4’s inevitable return to Steam, following the third game’s Epic Store exclusivity, has been the cause of some amusement this week. Following Borderlands 4’s announcement at Gamescom, Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford was lightly ridiculed for the bold prediction he made five years ago that the Epic Store would kill Valve’s ubiquitous distribution service. Now, Pitchford has responded to the mockery by bemoaning the lack of competition for Steam and claiming that “Epic isn’t playing to their advantage.”

Pitchford’s 2019 Tweets and Current Situation

This all stems from a series of tweets from Pitchford in 2019, after it was revealed that Borderlands 3 would be an Epic exclusive. “From a historical perspective, I expect Epic’s investment in technology to far outweigh Valve’s,” Pitchford wrote. “When we look back on Steam in five or ten years, it may seem like a dying store, and other, competing stores will be the place to be.” In a separate tweet, he also stated that “Epic will inevitably surpass Valve in terms of features and quality of service.”

Steam vs. Epic: The Battle Continues

Five years later, and Steam barely noticing Epic’s arrival on PC, some players have taken Pitchford to task for these claims. In response to a tweet about the Borderlands 4 trailer containing “a few secrets,” Twitter user Kuberr asked, “Why are you releasing on a ‘dying’ store though?”, posting an image of Pitchford’s 2019 prediction.

It was to this tweet that Pitchford responded a few hours later, writing, “Yes, Steam is the leading PC gaming store and Epic is not taking advantage of it (which is a shame).” He then added that he is “a Steam customer but certainly wish they had bigger and better competition that benefits artists, designers, and creators more than it benefits the retailer.”

Yes, Steam is the leading PC gaming store, and Epic is not taking advantage of it (which is a shame). I am a Steam customer, but I sure wish they had bigger and better competition that would benefit artists, designers, and creators more than the retailer. I will continue…August 21, 2024

Analyzing the Competition

It’s an captivating answer for a few reasons. Pitchford’s desire for Valve to have more competition is understandable, although no other store currently offers the kind of service that Valve does from a consumer perspective. I’m less convinced by Pitchford’s claims that Epic isn’t exploiting its advantage. While Epic has had huge success with Fortnite, it’s always been an underdog when it comes to being a PC gaming store. The company certainly hasn’t done as much as it could to attract users, focusing on exclusives and free games instead of turning the Epic Store itself into a service that people want to utilize. But that’s not the same as exploiting its advantage.

Perhaps Pitchford is referring to the financial burden that any company can throw around. Several valuations have placed Epic at a higher value than Valve, with the latest data stating that the Fortnite creator is worth $22.5 billion. Meanwhile, Valve is generally valued at between $6 billion and $10 billion. Not to mention the money it makes from Dota 2, Team Fortress 2, or the 30% revenue it takes from every game released on Steam.

The Future of Game Distribution

Pitchford concludes in his response that he will “continue to support competition for Steam, as well as support Steam,” meaning he will “put Borderlands 4 on as many platforms and storefronts as possible to make as much money as possible.” Then again, with Sony releasing its games on PC and Microsoft releasing its games on PlayStation, it’s challenging to blame Pitchford for wanting to squeeze as much juice out of Borderlands as possible.

FAQs

Q: Why was Borderlands 3 exclusive to the Epic Store?

A: Borderlands 3 was exclusive to the Epic Store as part of a deal between Gearbox and Epic Games.

Q: Will Borderlands 4 be available on other platforms besides Steam?

A: Randy Pitchford has mentioned the possibility of releasing Borderlands 4 on multiple platforms to maximize revenue.

Credit: herosweb.com