Borderlands 2 is currently free to keep on Steam until June 8, but its recent reviews are mostly negative due to an ongoing review bombing from players concerned about its terms of service.
This follows an earlier upset among Borderlands likers because of Gearbox exec and unstoppable poster of words Randy Pitchford, who recently said a rather inconsiderate thing about Borderlands 4’s pricing and then said some slightly less inconsiderate things about Borderlands 4’s pricing.
If you go to claim the game for zero pounds and zero pence ahead of the offer expiring on Sunday, you’ll notice that while the total number of reviews it’s racked up since release in 2012 have left it sitting at “very positive”. That’s in spite of the past month or so, which has seen it accrue this barrage of negative verdicts that’s gotten more intense since this announcement of it going free.
It’s attracted 1980 thumbs downs just over the course of June 5 and June 6 as of writing, in comparison to just 280 positive reviews in the same timespan. The vast majority of these recent negative reviews cite an update to Take-Two’s terms of service on February 28 this year as their reason for unhappiness, with many accusing the publisher and 2K of pushing “spyware”.
This looks to be the continuation of a review bombing movement that the game’s review graph suggests really kicked into motion in May, stemming from concerns over a recent 2K change to Borderlands 2’s Ts and Cs. PC Gamer reports that a YouTube video released by Borderlands content creator Hellfire may have been where things started.
Those doing the review bombing, which has also hit other games in the series like Borderlands 3, are citing the types of data the revamped EULA collects about players, as well as a clause in its “Code of Conduct” section they believe unfairly targets mods and cheats.
That clause reads as follows: “You will not use exploits or illegal or unauthorised means to interfere with or adversely impact any other user’s ability to use the services as intended; to gain unfair gameplay advantage; or to gain access to virtual items or other content to which you do not have valid entitlement. This includes the use of cheats or so-called ‘mod menus’, unauthorised mods, hacks, glitches, or any other technical exploits, and phishing, scamming, or social engineering.”
So, something that could maybe affect modders generally – not that prominent Borderlands modders seem concerned – but sounds to me more like fairly typical EULA stuff designed specifically to discourage the use of mods or cheats online, where they could affect the experience had by other players. You know, like the checks fellow Take-Two-owned GTA Online developers Rockstar have tried to institute to stop your session being ambushed by invincible gods who fly around magically giving everyone vast sums of free money.
We’ve reached out to 2K for comment.
If you’ve not given Borderlands 2 a go, check out our verdict on it from back in the day.