Did GearBox Use Deal To Trick G2A? Change Your Ways Or Else

When famed video game developer GearBox signed a deal with controversial digital retailer G2A to sell a special edition of Bulletstorm, it garnered significant criticisms from the community. However, the studio just turned around and used the agreement as ammunition to force the merchant site to change its ways or the deal is off. Did GearBox seriously trick G2A to force a shift in business practice?

Just for some context as to what this ultimatum even means, G2A has been in the center of a controversy involving fraud and even money laundering, Polygon reports. This has caused massive outrage within the gaming community, with many prominent gamers and developers condemning the retailer and its practices.

The contempt for G2A seems alive and well, as proven by figures like YouTube TotalBiscuit, who Tweeted that he would no longer be covering any games made by GearBox in protest of the deal. From there, the media and the gaming community picked up on the arrangement between the two, which spurred the studio to lay down its ultimatum.

Speaking to Waypoint, a spokesperson for GearBox confirmed that it shares the concerns of the gaming community and has since told G2A that some changes will need to be made. Otherwise, the studio will be pulling out from the deal.

 "Gearbox Publishing heard loud and clear the concerns voiced by John 'TotalBiscuit' Bain," the spokesperson said.

The video game company even provided a list of demands that the retailer needs to meet before they can proceed with selling Bulletstorm: Full Clip Collector’s Edition. Among these is to make its fraud protection service free to consumers within 30 days, as well as to allow developers and publishers the ability to flag video game keys that were stolen and resold. GearBox reiterated that if these demands are not met, it will not be supporting G2A.