Gearbox Software must have been sure that the Borderlands movie would be a hit because otherwise, why would they have decided to announce the upcoming Borderlands 4 a few weeks after the movie dropped?
Gamescom featured the official teaser for the next Borderlands game, and though very little is known about the sequel, the official release has confirmed a new detail.
Borderlands 4 Will NOT be Set in Pandora
According to the official description of the teaser, the next Borderlands game will be stepping away from Pandora and will take place on an entirely new planet. Here’s the trailer:
The official description:
“In this next installment of the definitive looter shooter, players will assume the role of a legendary Vault Hunter as they blast their way through hordes of enemies in search of new treasures to loot on an all-new planet.”
Just looking at the teaser, it does seem like the planet shown in the preview isn’t Pandora, as official art for the game has depicted Pandora covered in a lot more water. However, it is curious to see Psycho helmets falling from the sky; it’s also possible that the arm that picks up the mask in the teaser is going to be an integral character in the upcoming story.
Exciting New Directions
Besides what fans got to see in the teaser, not much has been revealed about Borderlands 4, but Gearbox founder Randy Pitchford has said this about the game (via eurogamer):
"The team and I at Gearbox have a lot we've wanted to do with Borderlands since we first introduced the looter shooter genre to the world with our original game… All of us at Gearbox have massive ambitions for Borderlands 4 and are putting everything we have into making everything we love about Borderlands better than ever before while taking the game to new levels in exciting new directions."
Setting the place outside of Pandora is definitely a step in a different direction for the game, but it’s curious just how exactly this new setting will keep things fresh compared to repeating the context of the earlier game without slapping a new coat of paint on it.
Recent String of Duds
Though Borderlands has been around for a while, some fans have pointed out that recent entries in the franchise, like Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands and New Tales from the Borderlands, have not been home runs for the studio.
Fans should also remember the massive elephant in the room: the box office bomb that was the Borderlands movie. The fact that the fanbase didn’t even step up to watch the film in theaters could indicate that not many people are fans of the space wasteland that Borderlands is all about.
On a positive note, though, some are hopeful that the recent duds of Borderlands materials could result in Gearbox finding out what not to do for Borderlands 4.
Hopefully, it’s not too late to salvage the IP, especially after the movie left fans with an unsatisfying taste in their mouths.
No release date has been announced for Borderlands 4, but the game is expected to launch for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S sometime in 2025.
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