A Borderlands movie is in production. Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands performed and reviewed well. In November 2022, Take-Two boasted that the series had surpassed 77 million sales to become a billion-dollar franchise. Yet we haven’t heard anything about the next mainline game in the RPG-shooter series since 2019’s Borderlands 3. It seems that’s about to change. A recent online leak seems to tease the existence of Borderlands 4 and a slew of other Gearbox games.
Borderlands 4 Spotted on LinkedIn
A former studio technical director with previous experience at Lost Boys Interactive referred to Borderlands 4 in a LinkedIn post. The now-deleted post claims experience supervising a team of 66 employees in “planning and engineering development on Borderlands 4 UE4”.
There was also reference to Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands 2 and a yet-unknown Brothers in Arms game. According to Gearbox’s Randy Pitchford, Borderlands’ fantasy-themed spinoff performed well enough to potentially kickstart a new franchise. Meanwhile, the World War Two tactical shooter hasn’t been seen on console since 2008’s Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway.
Furthermore, a post on Environment Artist Nicolas Rudowski’s LinkedIn suggests that the game has been in development for two years, beginning in November 2021. If this is true, fans can likely expect a sooner release than the previously anticipated 2026 window. Of course, this is all speculation and nothing official has been confirmed.
The Future of Borderlands
Of course, it’s no surprise that a new Borderlands is in development. The irreverent sci-fi series has been a smash hit since its 2009 debut, with Borderlands 3 selling an impressive five million copies in its five days. Gearbox CEO and passionate brand ambassador Randy Pitchford has already made several allusions to the existence of a fourth main instalment. It seems inevitable, whatever form it takes. It’s unclear whether we can expect more of the same campaign-focused structure or a shift to a live-service experience like Destiny.
A change in pace might be the right move for a series that hasn’t changed massively since 2009. Although each iteration improves and innovates in minor ways, the core of Borderlands remains the same, for better or worse. Perhaps a shift in focus is what is taking up the studio’s time. However, recent discussion about Gearbox’s potential separation from parent company Embracer Group has left people speculating on the series’ future.
In September, reports across the industry indicated that a parting of ways seemed likely, though unconfirmed. According to an email to staff from Gearbox chief communications officer Dan Hewitt, “Gearbox remains a part of Embracer… However, there are many options under consideration, including Gearbox’s transfer, taking Gearbox independent, and others.” If Gearbox is considering going independent like Bungie, the Borderlands series will undoubtedly be impacted.
Although we’ve not much to work with so far, we hope to hear more from Borderlands 4 in 2024. We may also see the unveiling of a second Tiny Tina game and more. Stay tuned for more updates!
So, what do you think? Are you excited for Borderlands 4? Do you think the series needs a change? Let us know in the comments!
