Pitchford went on highlight the fact that "we celebrate when new, strange IPs break a million units," recalling the excitement and praise Firewatch received when its sales reached one million. However, that wasn't the case for Battleborn, sales for which were initially "tracking just ahead" of Borderlands shortly after launch. "We reached three to four million people and it's like, 'oh you guys f—ked up so bad. Such a failure. And it's only because of the [Overwatch] comparison, I think," Pitchford said.
Gearbox Software's hero shooter was released in May of last year. A little over a year after its launch, a free-to-play version, featuring unlimited access to all of Battleborn's competitive multiplayer modes, was made available. For our thoughts on the game, which is getting Borderlands-themed character skins later this year, read IGN's Battleborn review.Be sure to check out part two of our IGN Unfiltered interview with Pitchford for even more from the Gearbox president, including his thoughts on the studio's commitment to both single-player and co-op, why the wait for Borderlands 3 has been so long, and more. If you haven't already done so, also be sure to watch part one of our interview, which covers everything from Pitchford's experience working on Half-Life and Halo to his thoughts on Duke Nukem Forever.