Borderlands 4 Fortnite Skin Promotion Ignites Investment Hype and Criticism

Randy Pitchford, the outspoken boss of Gearbox and the Borderlands franchise, has once again found himself at the center of online debate. Ahead of the launch of Borderlands 4, he suggested that the game’s pre-order bundle – which includes an exclusive Fortnite cosmetic – could end up being an unexpected investment opportunity. The bundle unlocks a new Mad Moxxi skin inside Fortnite, and Pitchford hinted that it could someday mirror the financial frenzy that surrounded the rare Psycho Bandit skin a few years back.

Back in 2019, the Psycho Bandit skin was offered as part of a Borderlands 3 promotion.

For a while it was a true collector’s item, appearing only briefly in Fortnite’s item shop before vanishing from circulation. During that window of scarcity, accounts featuring the skin were being listed on eBay for thousands of dollars, with some allegedly fetching upwards of $2,000. The hype didn’t last forever, however: Epic Games eventually re-released the skin in 2025, which immediately tanked its black-market value by making it widely accessible again. This cycle is typical in Fortnite: cosmetic items often rise in status when they disappear, only to lose their prestige when they reappear in the shop.

Pitchford’s musings touched off a storm of criticism, not least because Fortnite explicitly forbids trading, selling, or transferring accounts. Epic Games’ Terms of Service clearly state that account trading can lead to permanent bans, which makes his comments sound less like a business pitch and more like a risky gamble. Buying Borderlands 4 solely for the attached cosmetic is hardly a safe investment strategy, and many players felt his framing cheapened the excitement around the game itself.

For critics, this isn’t just a minor slip – it’s another chapter in Pitchford’s long history of controversial marketing antics. Detractors argue that pushing the idea of resale value for a pre-order bonus feels like a desperate move, especially when the new game should be able to stand on its own merits. Some have even compared this approach to shady promotion tactics in other corners of the industry, noting that it leaves a sour taste for loyal fans who want to believe the franchise is still built on creativity rather than gimmicks.

Supporters of Fortnite cosmetics, meanwhile, were quick to temper expectations. Data miners already discovered that the Mad Moxxi bundle will eventually be sold separately in the game’s shop later this year. That means the exclusivity angle is temporary at best – undercutting any notion that it might become a truly rare commodity. As some players wryly observed, these days there are no permanently rare skins in Fortnite – only temporary windows of bragging rights.

All this drama lands just days before Borderlands 4 officially launches on September 12 for PC (via Steam and Epic Games Store), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. A Nintendo Switch 2 edition will follow on October 3. Despite the PR distractions, the looter-shooter’s fan base remains eager to dive into its chaotic blend of humor, loot, and carnage. Whether the attached Fortnite crossover adds value or controversy may ultimately depend on whether Pitchford chooses to keep stirring the pot – or finally lets the game speak for itself.