'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
2019 continues to bring controversy to the world of video games. The most recent story that put players up in arms revolved around the upcoming release of Borderlands 3. Announced earlier last month, the third installment in the Borderlands trilogy left tons of Gearbox fans begging for more.
However, as new details leaked, it was also revealed that the game would launch on the Epic Games Store as a timed exclusive, forcing PC players to purchase it through that launcher should they want to play it on day one.
Much like when Metro: Exodus and Outer Worlds were brought to the store, players weren't excited about the decision.
In fact, their frustration led to review bombing. After it was announced Metro: Exodus would be an exclusive on Epic, the furious fanbase went to Steam where they covered the previous two titles in negative reviews, driving down their scores on the platform.
Gearbox faced the same fate in regards to Borderlands 3. That being all previous Borderlands titles were review bombed on Steam.
However, if you were to make your way to the store pages of Borderlands, Borderlands 2, or Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, you'd find that the average for the titles are still overall positive. The reason behind this? Valve decided to step in.
The company has decided to mark all reviews coming out of the past week as "off-topic review activity."
This isn't the first time Valve has addressed this issue, as they've been working on this system for some time. Prior to Borderlands 3's Epic partnership, Borderlands 2 had received "overwhelmingly positive" reviews since it was added to Steam back in 2012.
Valve's system took the 3,000+ negative reviews amassed over the past week and essentially took them out of the equation, quarantining them in an effort to keep the overall user reviews of the title as honest as possible.
However, it doesn't just block out the negative reviews. Positive reviews posted throughout the week have also been disregarded from the normal equation.
How do you feel about review bombing? Does Valve's reaction help prevent games from being punished unfairly, or did it simply hinder the ability of players to get the attention of developers? Let us know in the comments below.
