Gearbox Software offers Borderlands 2 for free on Steam, but some fans have warned others to leave the series due to recent controversy over terms of service.
The studio behind the Looter-Shooter series has surprised PC gamers with today’s free offer, allowing all Steam users to add sequels to their libraries for free. It’s a giveaway that gives you access to the 2012 title at no extra cost, but as long as many people share their excitement online, Borderlands 2 Steam Review I’m talking about another thing.
The All Reviews section boasts a “very positive” rating on Steam with over 287,000 user reviews, but the recent over 3,300 reviews have the response of the second Borderlands game labeled “almost negative.” The downward trend began around May 20, 2025, with a particularly large movement of negative reactions filling the review section today.
This Spike 2 review for Negative Borderlands is not from gameplay updates or problematic servers, but from something created by Gearbox’s parent company Take-Two Interactive. Its Terms and Conditions February this year. Players use reviews to point to several topics including concerns that end-user license agreements (EULAs) condemn mods, cheats and VPN use. However, the main concerns reflected across social media channels are related to the fear that Take-Two, 2K Games and Gearbox are harvesting data and personal information.
“One of the best games ever made. I can’t recommend it to anyone right now because the publisher needs to add spyware to the updated EULA and launch it.” General reviews from Steam User Writer Scientist say. “It’s called forced arbitration and it’s one of the most intense things that shady people want to normalize. We won’t change to a positive review until this is revised.
Another complaint Moving towards the top of the conversation involves a broader idea from a publisher that changes the terms of use of a game that began nearly 13 years ago. Some people have gone before requesting a refund option if they want to reject the terms of an updated document. It also highlights the status of Borderlands 2 as a relatively casual video game focusing on single-player and cooperative experiences. The idea is, without a substantial and competitive multiplayer component, there should be no reason for Take-Two to fear how scammers will affect the average Borderlands player’s experience.
People are reviewing the Borderlands game as Gearbox/2K made changes to the EULA
It appears that people are reviewing the entire **Borderlands** series as Gearbox/2K made changes to the EULA. pic.twitter.com/fzwaosr9wo
-pirat_nation🔴 (@pirat_nation) May 20, 2025
Take-Two Terms of Service Updates can be found when launching other 2K titles including the original Borderlands and Border Zone 3currently on steam for $9.89 and $3.99 respectively. Each title has undergone a different level of review bombing, with almost all users pointing to the EULA as the cause behind the newly added thumb-fallen rating. There’s even Specific list of complaints that have been copied The entire Steam Reviews section of each game includes concerns that Take-Two uses sensitive information such as name, email address, IP address, billing details, and phone numbers.
“It’s pretty bold to change TOS, turn the game into spyware, then provide the game for free and steal data from people you don’t know.” Steam users=SilvioHammer= Claim.
Many people use reviews to specifically call out Gearbox Boss Randy Pitchford, who tried to deal with the horrors of privacy in a post on X/Twitter last week. when One fan said Eula’s update “turns all Borderlands games into spyware with access to all information,” Pitchford said. guarantee PC fans are saying there are no software-level changes to the Borderlands game, which should make players worried about spyware.
“There’s nothing changed or changed about the software,” Pitchford said at the time. “I think the publisher’s legal team covers their foundations, but that has nothing to do with what we’re doing. I can’t change the EULA – it’s determined at the publisher level. But I can guarantee that the software has no spyware.”
Yes – humans are involved. When you’re making a good game here, it’s going to be a brigade. But everyone should make their own decisions, so if they are carrying out protests due to fear of some lawyers, I think it’s the world we have to live in.
– Randy Pitchford (@duvalmagic) May 31, 2025
Pitchford’s comments are supported by other players who find their reaction to Take-Two changes to be a bit exaggerated. This includes clarification from those who say Eula hasn’t changed much over the years, and previous versions of the documentation already includes some of the conditions players are currently expressing concern. It is unclear how the significant changes in terms of service have turned out in February, but it is clear that the voice portion of the Borderlands community is no longer satisfied with what comes with the contract, whether it is an overreaction or not.
“People are certainly overreacting,” says Reddit. “Eula is little different from Eula before going back to 2018. People are now grossing because the clickbait content creator told them.”
Currently, it is unclear whether Take-Two will update its terms of service in a way that could mitigate privacy concerns and criticism related to mod support. For those who are picking up Borderlands 2, which can be owned for free until 10am on June 8th, the Terms of Use Agreement will be displayed when you launch the game for the first time. Those who decline it only enjoy the experience while playing offline.
Updated Terms of Use may need to be accepted to play the gearbox Borderland 4 Even online. It is scheduled to be released for PC on September 12, 2025 via the Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X. S. The Nintendo Switch 2 version will start at a later date. You can check all the latest gameplay details revealed as part of a play state focused on Borderlands 4 here.
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor to Passthecontroller. He is best known for his work on sites such as Pitch, Fugitive, Only sp. Be sure to provide him with followers on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@mikecripe).
