And you thought the Borderlands movie's $90m flop was harsh: Gearbox is getting eviscerated for botching the first Risk of Rain 2 DLC it's made after buying the IP

GamesRoguelikeRisk of Rain 2And you thought the Borderlands movie’s $90m flop was harsh: Gearbox is getting eviscerated for botching the first Risk of Rain 2 DLC it’s made after buying the IPWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

GamesRoguelikeRisk of Rain 2And you thought the Borderlands movie’s $90m flop was harsh: Gearbox is getting eviscerated for botching the first Risk of Rain 2 DLC it’s made after buying the IPWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Gearbox Publishing)

Risk of Rain 2 Seekers of the Storm DLC screenshots of enemies and characters

The second Risk of Rain 2 DLC, Seekers of the Storm, is the first major update to come to the legendary roguelike since Borderlands studioGearbox acquired the IP in November 2022. Everything looked promising: fresh stages, new and returning characters, more items, anda development team that seemed optimistic about the series' comebackafterGearboxcanceled a mobile game spinoffwhich it spun up right after acquiring the series.

Hunt is active in the modding scene, and was one of many Risk of Rain 2 modders to highlight technical hitches and inconsistencies that surfaced after Seekers of the Storm went live. Speaking in the Risk of Rain 2 Modding Discord server, Hunt outlined a change to how player position is registered, simply asking, “What the fuck?” A core problem, Ghor explained, is that the update has evidently messed with “one of the systems that powers almost everything in the game.”

“My feeling is that development staff likely tried their best with the time they were given,” Ghor added. Fellow modder iDeathHD, a core developer on the server, said it “feels like the codebase is cooked.” Acollection of modder-reported technical misstepsis currently one of the top posts on the Risk of Rain subreddit,which is unsurprisingly having a field daywith this mess.

(Image credit: Gearbox)

Risk of Rain 2 chef cooking at a stove

One of the biggest problems is a gaming classic: physics and character behavior tied to frame rate. This wasn’t the case in Risk of Rain 2 before Seekers of the Storm, but in the game’s official Discord server, a Gearbox representative confirmed that it’s definitely a problem now. “That issue, and all the ramifications on balance/physics/attack speed/movement/etc. were not intentional,” said GBX Preston, Risk of Rain brand lead Preston Weiler. “This is in our top handful of issues we’re investigating.”

“As a stopgap solution to the FPS-related issues, players should set their FPS to 60,” Weiler advised in a separate reply. “The team is aware of the problem and is actively working on it. But for now, playing at 60 will deliver the expected behavior for most of the issues that arise from this bug.”

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Weiler has been candid about the launch. “PC is in a really bad place,” he admitted. “Team is cracking away at it.” With Gearbox clearly aware of the reputation and expectations riding on Risk of Rain, Weiler said “we’re in it for the long haul, we’ll get back to a good place. Dev team just needs a sec to get everything together.”

In a Steam postpublished yesterday, August 28, Gearbox said it has “worked with our partners at Steam to adjust the pricing of Seekers of the Storm in select markets. The new pricing more closely matches prices from [DLC 1] Survivors of the Void. This change has begun and will continue to take effect over the next few hours. Those who have already purchased the content should request a refund through Steam and repurchase at the updated price once they see it has been adjusted.” Affected players have been advised to refund the DLC and repurchase it at the updated price point.

(Image credit: Gearbox Publishing)

Risk of Rain 2 Seekers of the Storm DLC screenshots of enemies and characters

Players have also reported issues with the promised new-gen upgrade for the console version of the game. Simply put, it ain’t showing up as free, so PS5 and Xbox Series X owners have been prompted to buy the game again. The official Risk of Rain Twitter, when not advising users to “try hard resetting your console” to resolve a separate reported bug which could render the game literally unbootable on console post-DLC, hasassured playersthe upgrade “is supposed to be free” and “we’re currently investigating this.” That was the case as recently as August 27; I play Risk of Rain 2 on PC, so I haven’t been able to verify for myself if the PS5 or Xbox Series X upgrades are now fixed, but from the state of player discussion it still seems to be a problem.

I’ve reached out to Hunt and other Risk of Rain 2 modders hoping to get some more insight into what’s gone sideways here. I also contacted Gearbox for an update on its plans to fix things, and received this statement:

“We’ve been carefully monitoring player feedback related to Seekers of the Storm. We are working quickly to address that feedback, starting with yesterday’s rollout of regional pricing adjustments. We will continue to provide updates as we make progress against reported issues.”

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GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now"2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”

GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now"2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”

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GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS

1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”

Nemesis board game models and tokens laid out on a board

1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”

1

Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”

2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”

2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”

2

Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”

3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”

3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”

3

Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”

4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”

4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”

4

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”

5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”

5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”

5

Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”

1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”

Shadow brandishes a gun in Sonic The Hedgehog 3

1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”

1

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”

2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”

2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”

2

Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”

3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”

3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”

3

Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”

4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”

4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”

4

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”

5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”

5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”

5

Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”

1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now”

Squid Game season 2

1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now”

1

Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now”

2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”

2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”

2

Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”

3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”

3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”

3

Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”

4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”

4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”

4

Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”

5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”

5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”

5

Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”

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