Borderlands Creator Caught in Bizarre Tech Leak of 2026

This morning, while browsing the latest updates, I stumbled upon an intriguing tech story involving a yet-to-be-released Pixel Watch 5, discovered by a friend of Randy Pitchford, the co-founder of Gearbox and one of the minds behind Borderlands. How wild is that?

On May 31, Pitchford took to Twitter to share that a few days prior, a friend of his had been scuba diving near St. Martin in the Caribbean and found a watch that appeared to have been abandoned. According to Pitchford, the watch was identified as a Pixel Watch 5, a device that hasn’t been officially announced or launched by Google, although many have been anticipating its arrival.

Pitchford mentioned that his friend reached out to him because he thought the Borderlands creator might have some connections in the tech world. He shared two images of the watch online, asking for help in locating its owner. Pitchford later stated that he’s been in touch with the owner, emphasizing the importance of returning lost items to their rightful places.

A friend of mine found this watch a few days ago ~underwater~ when he was scuba diving near the island of St. Martin. He noted that the reverse of the watch indicates that it is a Google Pixel 5, which has not yet been announced, let alone released. It seems to be fine. The face… pic.twitter.com/Mnenov1sFE

— Randy Pitchford (@DuvalMagic) May 31, 2026

As highlighted by some tech enthusiasts, the Pixel Watch 5 in Pitchford’s photos features several markings that hint at its specifications, including IP68 water resistance, a heart rate sensor, UWB chip, pulse sensor, and skin temperature tracking. Observers have noted slight differences from the Pixel Watch 4, suggesting this could indeed be a genuine pre-release model of the upcoming Google device.

Interestingly, while many tech bloggers seem to believe the watch is authentic, some gamers online are skeptical, accusing Pitchford of fabricating the story for attention. There are even whispers that he might have been incentivized by Google to “leak” the device ahead of an official announcement, but it’s hard to imagine Google would choose Pitchford for such a reveal. Historically, major tech companies like Google and Apple have struggled to keep unreleased devices under wraps before their launches.

In any case, this could be your first glimpse at what’s likely the next Pixel Watch, thanks to Randy Pitchford. What a strange turn of events!