Borderlands
News, coverage and analysis tracking Borderlands across the outlets.
Latest coverage
Destiny 2's dormancy will leave a power vacuum
With Destiny 2 entering its end-of-service lifecycle and no new content planned, a power vacuum is created in the looter shooter genre. While previous games failed to dethrone Destiny, its dormancy presents an opportunity for a new title to capture player attention, though the high development costs and the challenge of appealing to its dedicated player base remain significant hurdles.
Tencent Games Spotlights Future Player Experiences with 45 Major Updates at SPARK 2026
Tencent Games revealed 45 major updates at its SPARK 2026 conference, focusing on development, publishing, and investments. The event highlighted new IP collaborations, cross-platform experiences, and technological innovations across various titles including League of Legends, Arena Breakout: Infinite, Arma Reforger, and CONTROL Resonant. Updates also covered new game launches, expansions, and collaborations with brands like Persona 5 Royal and Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Institute.
Morning Postmortems/Retrospectives
Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick stated that the art style overhaul for the original Borderlands cost approximately $50 million and delayed development by a year. He believes this change was crucial to the game's eventual success.
Take-Two CEO says "Borderlands wouldn't have been a hit" without $50 million art style change gamble
Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick revealed that a significant $50 million change to Borderlands' art style, implemented just two months before its original release, was crucial to the game's eventual success. Gearbox Software proposed the shift from a muted aesthetic to its now-iconic hand-inked look, a decision Zelnick supported despite the immense cost and risk, believing it was essential for differentiation.
Take-Two Boss Says Borderlands' Last-Minute Art Style Change Cost $50 Million, but Without It the Game Would Have Flopped
Take-Two Interactive's CEO revealed that a last-minute art style change for Borderlands cost an additional $50 million and a year of development. Despite the increased costs, the change was deemed necessary for the game's eventual success.
Take-Two CEO says the original Borderlands' art style overhaul cost a year of dev time and $50 million: 'Had…
Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick revealed that the art style overhaul for the original Borderlands cost $50 million and delayed the game by a year. Despite the significant investment and risk, Zelnick supported the decision to differentiate the game's visual identity, which ultimately contributed to its success.
Borderlands' last-minute art style change cost the company $50 million, Take-Two CEO says: "Borderlands…
Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick revealed that a last-minute change to Borderlands' cel-shaded art style during development cost the company $50 million and delayed its release by over a year. Zelnick believes this decision was crucial for the game's eventual success and the creation of the franchise, noting that few other publishers would have made such a risky investment.
Former Gearbox Québec Leadership Have Founded Studio Ricochet, The New Independent Developer Aims to Create
Former Gearbox Québec leadership has founded a new independent studio named Studio Ricochet, aiming to create original co-op action-adventure games for PC and consoles. The studio, co-founded by Sebastien Caisse, Pierre-Andre Dery, Maxime Babin, and Yanick Pich, is self-funded and explicitly stated they are not pursuing a live service or GaaS model, drawing inspiration from titles like Returnal and Uncharted.
Founders of Gearbox Quebec announce new studio to "create original, premium games on our own terms"
The founders of Gearbox Quebec have launched a new Canadian studio named Ricochet Games, aiming to create original, premium games on their own terms. The studio, comprised of veteran developers from major franchises, will focus on original IP for PC and console, with their first title being a premium, buy-to-play co-op action-adventure game, explicitly avoiding a live service model.
Randy Pitchford says Gearbox has a firm no-AI policy after posting an AI-generated image of an AI working at Gearbox
Gearbox Software CEO Randy Pitchford stated the company has a strict no-AI policy for any customer-facing work, following backlash from an AI-generated image he posted. Pitchford clarified that the image was a personal experiment to highlight the absurdity of AI identity and not indicative of company practices. He also denied accusations that recent Borderlands patch notes were AI-generated, attributing any errors to human mistakes.
Gearbox head Randy Pitchford says Borderlands maker won't use AI for "any work that could ever be seen" after posting ChatGPT-generated image of a Gearbox employee
Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford clarified the company's policy on artificial intelligence, stating that AI will not be used for any work that could be seen by customers. This statement follows Pitchford's own use of ChatGPT to generate an image of a Gearbox employee, which sparked discussions about AI in game development. The company, a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive, aims to prevent accusations of AI-generated content, especially after some players perceived AI-like text in recent Borderlands patch notes.
Borderlands Studio Head Responds After Fans Rip Him For "AI Slop" Selfie
Gearbox Software co-founder Randy Pitchford responded to fan criticism after posting an AI-generated selfie, clarifying the studio's policy against using AI in customer-facing work. Pitchford stated he uses AI tools for personal exploration and not for game development, emphasizing that the idea of AI having an identity is nonsensical. This comes amid discussions about AI's role in game development, with parent company Take-Two Interactive also implementing AI for business efficiencies.
Games Inbox: Which is better out of Pragmata and Saros?
Readers debate the merits of new sci-fi third-person shooters Pragmata and Saros, with one reader expressing difficulty choosing between them due to simultaneous release and cost. Other topics include the potential impact of Grand Theft Auto 6, the value of Vampire Survivors, Microsoft's Xbox strategy, and recommendations for games similar to Mad Max.
PlayStation Vita: Our Love for a Dead Console
The PlayStation Vita, released in 2011, aimed to bring a home console experience to a handheld device with features like dual analog sticks and an OLED screen. Despite a strong library of JRPGs, fighting games, and indie titles, it struggled against mobile gaming and the Nintendo 3DS due to its high price and proprietary memory cards. However, the console gained a dedicated following through modding, enabling emulation, custom themes, and the use of standard Micro SD cards, preserving its legacy as a beloved handheld.
SteamOS 3.8.2 Beta brings fixes for security issues, trackpad on Legion Go and Borderlands 2
Valve has released SteamOS 3.8.2 Beta, introducing fixes for security vulnerabilities, trackpad issues on the Legion Go, and a crash bug in Borderlands 2. The update also includes general stability improvements, enhanced controller support for various handheld devices like the ASUS ROG Ally and GPD Win 5, and updates to the KDE Plasma desktop environment to version 6.4.3 with Wayland as the default.
Fan Creates Overwatch x Borderlands Collaboration Concept Art
A Reddit user shared concept art for a potential collaboration between Blizzard's Overwatch and Gearbox's Borderlands. The fan-made art imagines how the distinct visual styles and gameplay mechanics of both franchises could merge, sparking community discussion about the possibility of such a crossover.
A new free-to-play Borderlands game gets surprise drop on mobile, which Zynga says is part of a 'limited-time…
Zynga has surprise-launched a new free-to-play Borderlands game for iPhone in the US, developed by NaturalMotion. The company is calling Borderlands Mobile a 'limited-time test' and is working with Gearbox Software for creative guidance. The game is described as an action-packed looter shooter optimized for mobile.
Razer’s new Hammerhead V3 HyperSpeed earbuds rise above slow Bluetooth hassles
Razer has released the Hammerhead V3 HyperSpeed wireless earbuds, designed to minimize audio latency for gamers. These earbuds utilize Razer's 2.4 GHz HyperSpeed Wireless technology for a stable, low-latency connection, with Bluetooth 6.0 as a backup. They are compatible with PC, PlayStation 5, Steam Deck, Nintendo Switch, and smartphones, and feature improved active noise cancellation and THX Spatial Audio.
After Johnny Cage, Karl Urban Wants To Play Another Famous John In A Video Game Movie
Actor Karl Urban, who will play Johnny Cage in the upcoming Street Fighter movie, expressed his desire to portray John Marston in a potential Red Dead Redemption film or TV adaptation. Urban cited Red Dead Redemption as one of his favorite games and mentioned his past role in the Doom movie. The article also touches on Take-Two Interactive's cautious approach to licensing its intellectual properties for adaptations, citing past successes and failures.
Borderlands Mobile Soft Launches on iOS, Developed by Zynga With Gearbox’s “Guidance”
Zynga's NaturalMotion studio has soft-launched a Borderlands mobile game on iOS, with Gearbox Software providing creative guidance. The free-to-play title features optimized mobile gameplay and a similar loop to its PC and console counterparts. This move aligns with Take-Two Interactive's strategy to leverage Zynga's expertise in bringing core IPs to mobile platforms.
