Borderlands 4 seemingly throws shade at former owner Embracer with an AI toilet and rundown town ruled by a king in a hot tub

Borderlands has never shied away from poking fun at modern pop culture using really silly humor as its weapon. It's no surprise, then, that Borderlands 4 includes more than a few jokey nods to real life. What is surprising is that one maybe-joke aims a little closer to home – at developer Gearbox Software's former owner, that is.

As reported by Kotaku (and spotted by another GamesRadar+ writer who's played the game), one early-ish-game location is suspiciously called 'Embracer's Bluff.' Gearbox was previously owned by Embracer Group. Coincidence?

Embracer's Bluff, the town, is run down and generally a garbage-filled eyesore no matter which way you look. Even more notable are the two quests you can find there involving a murderous vending machine that kills a would-be customer and a talking AI-powered toilet. According to Kotaku, you can also talk to the town's strange ruler, who resides in a hot tub and is surrounded by sex toys and a massive crown.

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Isolated, that might not mean much. In the context of Embracer Group – a company that swallowed up countless game studios and IP, like Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, Saints Row, Darksiders, Kingdom Come, Dead Island, and The Lord of the Rings, just to name a few, before initiating multiple mass layoffs and studio closures – it might mean a little more.

Gearbox Software itself became an Embracer Group subsidiary back in 2021, marching to the beat of a $1.3 billion acquisition. After a mystery $2 billion deal apparently fell through the floor, Embracer sold the famed game dev to Take-Two for $460 million after just three years.

Also, just last month, Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford said (thanks, PC Gamer) that Borderlands 4's story was at least partly inspired by the studio's change in ownership: "There's this cultural and emotional shift in me, personally, and at the studio. What does it mean to trade some autonomy for organization?" So make of that what you will.

While you're here, be sure to check out our Borderlands 4 review, as well as our guide to Borderlands 4 release times so you know when it's releasing in your region.