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Without Embracer, Borderlands 4 boss Randy Pitchford “is performing magic tricks at birthday parties for a living,” Saber CEO says in belated response to digs made in the looter shooter
Developed over time first seen 3 months ago
Saber Interactive chief executive Matt Karch has publicly explained an apparent reference to Gearbox co-founder Randy Pitchford in the announcement trailer for Rideshare Stimulator. The trailer includes the phrase “randiest of passengers” and shows a Texas vehicle plate reading “USB DRV”, with a cog-like symbol associated with Gearbox. Asked by Game File about the reference, Karch said it was retaliation for what he regarded as criticism of former owner Embracer Group in Borderlands 4, adding that, without Embracer, Pitchford would be “performing magic tricks at birthday parties for a living”. The trailer’s wording and plate are widely read as alluding to a long-running, previously settled legal dispute involving a USB drive left by Pitchford at a Medieval Times venue; Pitchford has described magic as an interest.
The exchange follows a period in which both companies changed ownership after being part of Embracer’s games group. Embracer bought Saber in 2020 and Gearbox in 2021, then sold Saber to an investor group controlled by Karch in March 2024 and Gearbox to Take-Two Interactive. Gearbox has not formally identified the Borderlands 4 material as a criticism of Embracer, but the game contains an area called Embracer’s Bluff, while Pitchford previously said the studio’s experience under Embracer helped inform the game’s themes of autonomy and organisation. Karch, who has defended Embracer’s management in the past, characterised Saber’s trailer reference as a response; Game File reported that a Gearbox representative did not comment before publication.
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In short
- Saber CEO Matt Karch said a Rideshare Stimulator trailer reference to Randy Pitchford was deliberate.
- Karch said it was a response to perceived digs at Embracer in Borderlands 4.
- Saber and Gearbox were both formerly owned by Embracer before their 2024 sales.
How this story developed
- 3 months ago Saber Interactive chief executive Matt Karch has publicly explained an apparent reference to Gearbox co-founder Randy Pitchford in the announcement trailer for Rideshare Stimulator.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
If Pitchford publicly embedded criticism of Embracer into Borderlands 4—as suggested by the game's "Embracer's Bluff" area and his own statement that Embracer informed its themes—he invited response. Karch, defending Embracer's position, had every right to retaliate in kind with coded commentary of his own. This type of professional banter is normal in competitive industries, and the response was clever wordplay rather than an outright personal attack. Pitchford's past legal matters are public knowledge and fair material for pointed commentary.
The case against
Regardless of whether Borderlands 4 contained implicit criticism, responding with personal mockery that resurrects old legal disputes is unprofessional and escalatory. The game's thematic content may serve legitimate narrative purposes unrelated to attacking Embracer, yet Karch responded with derision rather than engagement. Using game marketing to air personal grievances harms industry professionalism and culture, and the appropriate response to perceived criticism—if one chooses to respond at all—is substantive dialogue, not public humiliation.
Explained simply
Saber Interactive and Gearbox are video game studios that were both owned by Embracer Group, a Swedish games company. Embracer bought Saber in 2020 and Gearbox in 2021, then sold them separately in 2024: Saber to an investor group controlled by its chief executive, Matt Karch, and Gearbox to Take-Two Interactive.
Gearbox co-founder Randy Pitchford has spoken about magic as an interest. A past legal dispute over a USB drive he left at a Medieval Times venue has also been settled; the trailer’s wording and number plate appear to allude to it. Karch says the reference was a response to what he saw as criticism of Embracer in Borderlands 4, though Gearbox has not formally said the game was criticising the company.
The exchange reflects tensions following Embracer’s sale of the two studios. It matters because public remarks by senior figures link a game’s themes and promotional material to disagreements about the companies’ former owner.
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