By the end of this weekend, Borderlands 4 is probably going to be one of the biggest launches of 2025. It hasn’t gone off without a hitch, however. The game has been hit hard by negative reviews on Steam over its PC optimization. Now, Borderlands 4 has been accused of including spyware by some vocal fans online. Those rumors have been so pervasive that Borderlands 4 publisher Take-Two Interactive has already shared a statement denying them.
The issue at hand involves the kernel-level anti-cheat in Borderlands 4, which some have accused of being modified to collect data about players. Borderlands 4’s updated terms of service was also presented as evidence that the game was being used to spy on players, hence the response from Take-Two.
“Take-Two does not use spyware in its games,” wrote a company spokesperson on Steam. “Take-Two’s Privacy Policy applies to all labels, studios, games, and services across all media and platform types such as console, PC, mobile app, and website. The Privacy Policy identifies the data activities that may be collected, but this does not mean that every example is collected in each game or service.”
The company acknowledges that it does collect information about users “to deliver its services to players,” including personalization and compatibility options. Take-Two’s position is that it discloses this info in the terms of service to be transparent with fans.
PC Gamer noted that the latest furor over spyware stemmed from “a misleading YouTube video prompting fans to play a game of telephone about the changes to the EULA over Reddit and forum threads, and a bout of short-lived Steam review bombing that hasn’t accomplished much of anything.”
Similar concerns about older games from the company surfaced earlier this summer, which essentially received the same response from Take-Two as the latest allegations. The company also asserted that its updated terms allow it to go after “abusive mods” that don’t respect the intellectual property of the company, while allowing single-player non-commercial mods to be distributed freely among fans.
Gearbox has shared links for optimizing NVIDIA card graphics settings and a PC troubleshooting guide for anyone having trouble running the game. Players who need some in-game help should check out GameSpot’s Borderlands 4 guide hub for tips and secrets.
