Embracer isn't exactly looked upon fondly in the games industry. After a reckless acquisition spree that collapsed under itself when a $2 billion deal fell through, the publishing giant laid off 17,000 staff, shuttering entire studios and abruptly cancelling several games, including a new Deus Ex and Red Guerrilla Faction sequel.

Amidst the fallout, it sold Gearbox and Borderlands to Take-Two Interactive for less than half of what it originally paid, and this ordeal would ultimately lay the groundwork for Borderlands 4, inspiring its change in tone and villain. So, when Kotaku got its hands on the sequel and found a location marked "Embracer's Bluff", it was hard not to draw comparisons to Gearbox's very recent history.

Last Year, Embracer Admitted It Plans To Use AI In Game Development, And In Embracer's Bluff, You Can Find An Evil AI Toilet

Via Kotaku.

As explained by Zack Zwiezen (who summed it up perfectly: "Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm"), the centre of the town is a giant trash heap, run by a 'king mayor' who spends his time in a hot tub, surrounded by sex toys. Unlike many of the POIs littered throughout Borderlands 4's open world, this one has two side quests, and one of them involves an evil AI toilet, which could easily be interpreted as a jab at Embracer's first steps into AI last year.

Embracer's Bluff is also full of annoying flying critters that don't stop spawning.

The other side quest follows a vending machine that kills whoever buys from it - I'll let you read between the lines on that one. But the real cherry on top is in the name, 'Bluff', i.e. to deceive someone. After so many promising buyouts falling through, leading to layoffs and cheap acquisitions, it's easy to imagine that being a sly dig.

Of course, this could all be one big coincidence that means nothing, but with Pitchford openly admitting that the Embracer situation inspired Borderlands 4 directly, it's hard to imagine the team accidentally naming a literal dump after its former parent company.

Like Follow Followed

Borderlands 4

Looter Shooter Action Adventure RPG Systems OpenCritic Reviews Top Critic Avg: 85/100 Critics Rec: 100% Released September 12, 2025 ESRB Rating Pending Developer(s) Gearbox Software Publisher(s) 2K Engine Unreal Engine 5 Multiplayer Online Co-Op, Online Multiplayer
Where to play Close

WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
Powered by Expand Collapse