Borderlands 4: Gearbox Software Denies Take-Two Spyware Allegations

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Loot, Shoot… and Spy?

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  • Players have accused Borderlands 4 of being spyware because of its user agreement, blaming the parent company, Take-Two.
  • The developer, Gearbox, denied the spyware claims and stated the privacy policy is standard across all Take-Two products.
  • Gearbox said the policy only outlines what data could be collected for services like anti-cheat, but did not clarify what specific data is actually gathered.

The long-awaited Borderlands 4 was released just a few days ago, marking the fourth main entry in the franchise that began more than 15 years ago and stunned everyone. Although better than Borderlands 3 and well-reviewed, Borderlands 4 faces criticism over alleged player-spying software.

Why it matters: Gearbox has now disputed the charges made regarding Borderlands 4 and stated that Take-Two does not utilise spyware in this or any other game.

Borderlands 4 gameplay
Borderlands 4 launched to over 200K players on Steam.

The fourth title in the Borderlands series appears to be surprisingly good. The reviews of the game indicate that it is considered better than Borderlands 3, but it still falls short of Borderlands 2 in terms of story and character development.

On the other hand, despite having an 84/100 on Metacritic by the media, users on Steam have given 61% positive reviews.

Users have made claims against Borderlands 4, arguing that after signing the EULA, the game essentially functions as spyware. They blame Take-Two for this decision, as it is the parent company that ultimately decided to add it.

Now, Gearbox Software has come out to defend Take-Two, indicating that none of its games or products use spyware. According to Gearbox, this privacy policy that we sign applies to all games, studios of the brand, and services, both on consoles and PC, as well as mobile apps and web.

Borderlands 4 dollars
The game is almost unplayable on the Steam Deck.

Gearbox Software continues to defend Take-Two’s EULA and explains what is going on here. This privacy policy, which you must agree to, defines the types of data that may be collected, but it does not imply that everything that occurs in Take-Two’s games and services is recorded.

The explanation lacks clarity and does not address the issue of data collection, which remains unknown. Gearbox states that this data is required to deliver services to players, such as protecting their gaming experience with an anti-cheat system.

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