Let?s give amateur magician and Gearbox Software CEO Randy Pitchford a bit of a break. I imagine he simply doesn?t have time to play a wide variety of game genres, with his extended celebration of lawsuits against him being dismissed while also dealing with accusations of allegedly stiffing his own employees on expected bonuses. With all of that going on in your life you?d be forgiven for missing the genesis of new genres and the origins of the ?hero shooter? that stems from the beloved 2016 Gearbox classic and trailblazer Battleborn. Right" Battleborn" Remember timeless characters such as Phoebe, Oscar Mike, Marquis, and the rest of the gang" If you?re confused then join the crowd, because based on a Twitter conversation Randy Pitchford had with a random follower, the Gearbox chief seems to think that Battleborn ?spearheaded? the hero-shooter genre, telling people to ?celebrate innovation.? Oh, honey.
Yes! Battleborn successfully spearheaded the hero-shooter genre. That there are now several *massive* games that have insanely eclipsed Battleborn?s respectable 3 million player base is evidence of the power of the idea. Celebrate innovation!
? Randy Pitchford (@DuvalMagic) July 22, 2020

For those confused by the statement and maybe even wondering what a Battleborn is, let?s takes a trip down memory lane. Released in May of 2016 to middling reviews, Battleborn was a short lived team-based shooter that attempted to blend MOBA elements with first-person shootin...