Why is Borderlands 2 being review bombed?

Borderlands 2 is a beloved classic game, but now, it’s facing a sudden wave of negative reviews on Steam. The players are just furious about the newly enforced legal terms of service.

It has sparked a massive review bombing campaign over corporate and privacy overreach. But what exactly is this change that’s creating such backlash and has turned the recent reception of the game upside down? Here is all you need to know about it.

Borderlands 2 players show discontent over Take-Two Interactive EULA

The player's uproar stems from the recently updated End User License Agreement (EULA) implemented across all Borderlands games, by Take-Two Interactive, the game’s publisher.

As per players' claims, the new terms grant Take-Two excessive access to the player’s systems, including the data collection—hardware details, IP addresses, and even the browsing history.

Many fans have argued that these changes completely resemble spyware, and they fear it can grant the publisher root-level access to their systems, disguised under the name of anti-cheat measures. They have raised alarms about the privacy violations.

Some players even fear that this new agreement can be used to ban mods, which have been a key part of the game’s longevity.

It’s been stated by Take-Two Interactive that the measures are for anti-cheat and security. But the fans question the decision. After all, for a 13-year-old game title that’s been focused on co-op and single-player and not competitive play, what can lead to such invasive tracking action? This backlash further intensified when the viral YouTube video highlighted changes and led to the massive review-bombing campaign all across the Borderlands series.

Borderlands 2 Steam reviews, which were once quite overwhelmingly positive, have now dipped down to Mixed. It’s all due to the flooding of negative feedback from players.

Fans mixed reactions, and developer responses to Borderlands series backlash

Not all agree that the change is as drastic as they seem to be. EULA has included the broad language regarding data collection since always and Take-Two Interaction has not introduced any anti-cheat software. Borderlands players suspect that the backlash stemmed from the misinformation with the viral YouTube video that exaggerated the risk.

Yet, the damage is already done, and the recent Steam reviews of Borderlands 2 seem to have plummeted to mostly negative, with some angry players labeling the game spyware and even demanding reversals.

Gearbox CEO, Randy Pitchford, has addressed the player's concerns and stated that no spyware has been added to the game. He further clarified that EULA is the decision made at the publisher level, and it doesn’t impact the gameplay or the software’s integrity.

Despite the reassurances offered, it didn’t seem to have calmed the story. Many players are still skeptical about the decision and intention of Take-Two Interactive.

Also, the timing of the change coincides with Borderlands 2, which is offered for free on Steam. It has amplified the outcry as the players feel the giveaway is just a tactic to push new terms onto the users on the unsuspecting side.

For now, this controversy continues, and the players are demanding transparency amidst the tightened control. Whether or not Take-Two Interactive will revise the policies or if this backlash will impact Borderlands 4, an upcoming title, remains to be seen.