Gearbox confirms the development of Borderlands 4, offering a glimmer of excitement amid the mixed reactions to the franchise’s first cinematic outing.
I must admit that I have been a bit of a latecomer to the Borderlands fandom, but I have been enjoying the series’ signature brand of colorful mayhem and dark comedy as of late. As soon as word of the film adaptation spread, people, including me, were understandably excited since the name felt tailor-made for the big screens.
After leaving a lasting imprint on the gaming industry and selling over 77 million copies, the Borderlands franchise has become an established phenomenon. The Borderlands film hit the theaters a few days ago, thanks to the game’s immense success beyond gaming consoles, but more on that shortly.
We now have sufficient evidence to officially state that Borderlands 4 is indeed in development, meeting fans’ eager anticipation for the next installment of the beloved Borderlands series. It feels like this anticipation began so long ago when Gearbox Software CEO Randy Pitchfork suggested the making of the game in late 2021.
There was a brief exchange regarding Randy Pitchfork’s intentions for the future Borderlands game in an interview with TheGamer. He expressed his belief that he has failed to adequately conceal the fact that the team is engaged in a significant project. Borderlands 4 was, indeed, a badly kept secret, as the CEO of Gearbox said.
In November of last year, the developer who had previously worked with Gearbox confirmed that Borderlands 4 and Tiny Tina’s Wonderland 2 are both in the works. Borderlands 4, the next mainline game in the series, is undoubtedly in development, and now even the CEO does not deny it. This confirms what we already knew, even without an official confirmation.
Although it is not clear yet about when Borderlands 4 will be released, there are a few delightful signals that might indicate a release date is not too far off. In case you were unaware, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel and Borderlands 3 were separated by a span of five years. Accordingly, Borderlands 4 might be unveiled at any moment if past events are any kind of hint.
According to the guys at The Economic Times, the protagonists of the Borderlands series have usually been those who fight off numerous foes in their quest to find vaults full of valuables. And as far as the players know, the fate of beloved vault hunter Lillith was sealed tragically towards the end of Borderlands 3.
However, they elaborate on their theory that the Director’s Cut DLC clues at Lillith being alive, laying the groundwork for an intriguing plot in Borderlands 4. A possible storyline twist might see players leaving Pandora to search the cosmos for Lillith, which could mean a change of scenery.
Gearbox is practically compelled to address some of these issues given Lilith’s role in Borderlands 4. With any luck, Borderlands 4 will provide some information while also paving the way for further adventures within the series.
Regarding the gameplay, it is probable for a Lucky Dice system comeback, along with some melee items. Plus, I am crossing my fingers that the Legendaries will not have as many world drops as observed in Borderlands 3. Another welcomed return would certainly be if you could just push a button and sell all your unwanted stuff again.
Now we can go on to the Borderlands film, which has a pitiable 3% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. I did mention previously how it was not looking good before its launch. Gearbox Software, the studio behind the Borderlands series, was recently bought out by Take-Two Interactive. Hence, IGN wanted to know from Strauss Zelnick, the CEO of Take-Two Interactive, how he feels about the film’s poor performance, and whether it would jeopardize the company.
According to Strauss Zelnick, the answer is no, this picture will not generate any harsh sentencing on his business. Regardless of the strong backlash, he still thought the picture was worth seeing because of all the effort that went in by his people.
Ultimately, even with the current sad state of the film, at least there is confidence in Borderlands 4. We can mostly wait for more updates and pray that the story delivers with the tying up of loose ends.
