You’re scrolling through Steam, looking to revisit the glory days of Pandora, when you notice something weird. One of the best-rated shooters of all time, Borderlands 2, is suddenly getting hammered with negative reviews. People are screaming about "spyware," "privacy theft," and "kernel-level tracking." It’s enough to make anyone pause before hitting that install button.
Honestly, it feels a bit like a fever dream. This game is over a decade old. Why would a 2012 looter-shooter suddenly become a national security threat in 2026?
The short answer is no, Borderlands 2 does not have spyware in the sense of malicious software designed to steal your bank logins or hijack your webcam. But the long answer? It’s complicated, and it involves a massive corporate shift in how your gaming data is handled.
The EULA Update That Set Everything on Fire
The panic didn't start because of a virus. It started because of a lawyer.
In early 2025, Take-Two Interactive—the parent company that owns 2K and Gearbox—decided to unify the End User License Agreement (EULA) across all their titles. They pushed a mandatory update that forced players to agree to new terms before they could even reach the main menu.
When people actually read the fine print (which, let’s be real, almost never happens), they found some pretty aggressive language. The new terms stated that the publisher could collect:
- Your IP address and geolocation.
- Hardware configurations and console IDs.
- Broad "internet and electronic activity," including web browsing related to their services.
- Even photos or avatars associated with your account.
Suddenly, a game about shooting midgets and looting orange guns felt like it was staring back at you. YouTubers like Hellfire jumped on this, posting videos with titles like "Take-Two Spies on Borderlands Players," and the internet did what it does best: it went into a total meltdown.
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Is It Actually "Spyware" or Just Aggressive Telemetry?
We use the word "spyware" loosely these days. In technical terms, spyware is software that installs itself without your knowledge to do harm. What’s happening with Borderlands 2 is technically telemetry.
Every major publisher—EA, Activision, Ubisoft—does this. They want to know how long you play, what guns you use, and where you're located so they can target ads or "improve the user experience." The reason the Borderlands community lost its mind is the contrast. For years, Borderlands 2 was a relatively "clean" game. Adding these invasive terms to a 13-year-old classic felt like a slap in the face.
Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford even stepped in to try and calm the waters. He basically said the EULA is a publisher-level thing and that no "spyware" was added to the game code. And he’s mostly right. If you check the SteamDB logs, the actual game executable hasn't seen a massive logic overhaul in years. The "spyware" isn't a new hidden file; it's the legal permission you're giving them to watch your data.
The Fear of a Modding Crackdown
There is another layer to this "spyware" accusation that hits the core of the community. Borderlands 2 has lived this long because of mods. From the UCP (Unofficial Community Patch) to complete overhauls like Exodus, the game belongs to the modders now.
The updated EULA includes very specific language against "unauthorized mods" and "cheats."
"You will not use exploits or illegal or unauthorized means to interfere with or adversely impact any other user's ability to use the services... This includes the use of cheats or so-called 'mod menus', unauthorized mods, hacks, glitches..."
This sent a chill through the community. If the game is "spying" on your files to see if you’re running a mod menu, does that mean your 500-hour save file is at risk? So far, Take-Two hasn't actually started banning people for using the Community Patch in single-player. But the fact that they legally could is why the "mostly negative" reviews are still piling up.
How to Protect Your Privacy While Playing
If you still want to play but the idea of 2K tracking your IP address makes your skin crawl, you aren't totally helpless. You don't have to just "Accept" and hope for the best.
Go Offline
The simplest fix is the most effective. If you play Steam in Offline Mode, the EULA pop-up usually doesn't even appear. Since Borderlands 2 is primarily a single-player or local co-op game, you aren't losing much by cutting the cord.
The "Hosts File" Trick
For the more tech-savvy, you can block the game from talking to the mother ship. By editing your Windows "hosts" file (found in C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc), you can redirect 2K’s tracking servers to nowhere. Adding lines like 0.0.0.0 telemetry.2k.com and 0.0.0.0 metrics.2k.com effectively mutes the game's ability to send your data home.
Firewall Blocking
You can also go into your Windows Defender Firewall and create an "Outbound Rule" for Borderlands2.exe. Set it to "Block the connection." This lets you play the game while ensuring it can't broadcast a single byte of data to a remote server.
The Bottom Line on Borderlands 2 Safety
Is Borderlands 2 safe to play in 2026? Yes. Your computer isn't going to explode, and your identity isn't being sold on the dark web just because you killed Terramorphous.
The "spyware" controversy is really a story about the death of digital ownership. It’s about a publisher reaching back in time to change the rules on a game you bought a decade ago. It sucks, and the anger is justified, but from a purely technical standpoint, the game is still the same masterpiece it always was.
If you're worried, use the firewall method. It takes two minutes and gives you total peace of mind. Just don't let the legal jargon stop you from enjoying one of the best games ever made.
Next Steps for Players:
If you've already clicked "Accept" and feel uneasy, you can go into your Steam settings and clear your in-game browser cookies, or simply implement the firewall block mentioned above to cut off any future data transmission. Check the Borderlands 2 community hubs on Reddit for updated lists of telemetry URLs to block, as these can occasionally change when 2K updates their back-end services.