Here’s what Strauss Zelnick had to say.
Take-Two Interactive recently had an earnings call. This is when some of the veil is pulled back and projections are offered for their investors. Of course, that also means we get a somewhat better look at what the previous games offered in terms of commercial success for the company. One of the games that was set to be a big seller in the eyes of Take-Two Interactive was Borderlands 4.
The latest mainline entry to the Borderlands franchise came out in September. In fact, the game was even ahead of schedule during development, which allowed Gearbox Software to release this installment a little earlier than expected. That said, now that the launch is over and looking back at its release, Take-Two Interactive is finding that Borderlands 4 didn’t launch with their expectations.
Strauss Zelnick Talks Borderlands 4 Launch
The Game Business had the chance to speak with Strauss Zelnick. For those unfamiliar, this is the CEO behind Take-Two Interactive. During their conversation, they discussed the launch of Borderlands 4. According to Strauss, the game’s release was a bit softer than the team had initially anticipated.
The critical acclaim [for Borderlands 4] was superb, and we’re really happy with the release. Equally, as you know, there were some challenges with the Steam release. Gearbox has been addressing those challenges and will continue to do so. So, in terms of units sold out of the gate, the numbers were a little softer than we would have liked. In the fullness of time, we think it’s going to do great.
While the launch was softer than they had hoped, it was still a critical success that they had really aimed for. Of course, what had hurt the team and this installment was the PC platform, as some technical issues arose. It was something that players likely took note of and avoided the game initially. That said, Take-Two Interactive believes that the game will continue to perform well over time as Gearbox continues to resolve those issues.
Speaking of addressing issues, Borderlands 4 just received a new patch update yesterday. If you missed the update, we have a breakdown of the changes made to the game right here. Likewise, the big news that came out yesterday during the Take-Two Interactive earnings call was the fact that Grand Theft Auto VI has been delayed again. We’re not expecting the new installment to launch on November 19, 2026, unless any unexpected issues arise during game development.
