Following the release ofBorderlands 3and the unveiling of the spin-off titleTiny Tina’s Wonderlands, plenty of fans are already eagerly awaiting the next main installment to the looter-shooter. Considering the rumors surroundingBorderlands 4, as well as Gearbox’s moves to expand their game development operations, it may arrive earlier than anticipated.
TheBorderlandsseries is a first-person shooter that was first introduced in 2009. Since then, the franchise has gone on to release two more sequels in 2012 and 2019, respectively. It also has standalone spin-off titles, likeBorderlands: The Pre-Sequel(2014),Tales from the Borderlands(2014), and the upcomingTiny Tina’s Wonderlands.
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Rumors Point to Borderlands 4 Being in Development
Despite there being no official statement from Gearbox onBorderlands 4, rumors suggest that development is already well underway, even starting as early as March of 2021, according to aninteresting story from theGame Scoop!podcast. In the episode, a listener named Ethan details that during a cave tour in Pennsylvania, he encountered a man who claimed to be a software programmer forBorderlands 4. He said he was doing research for some of the game’s designs.
In addition to this, the fact thatTiny Tina’s Wonderlandsis a cross-gen gamealso lends to the idea thatBorderlands 4could already be in development. It allows developers to lay the groundwork for the next-gen sequel, while also preparing for the spin-off’s release. Since Gearbox is wrapping up the release of new content forBorderlands 3, it makes sense for them to shift gears toTiny Tina’s Wonderlandsand, possibly, the fourth main game in the series.
Gearbox is Doubling Down on Game Development
Though talk ofBorderlands 4mostly involves rumors, one thing’s for sure:Gearbox has big things plannedfor its future. In a press release from August of 2021, the company announced that it would open a new studio in Montréal. Pierre-André Déry, industry veteran and co-head of Gearbox Montréal, announced the new studio:
“Building on Gearbox’s long history of creative freedom, we are excited to assemble a new development team to work on theBorderlandsfranchise and create new IP in Montréal.” Sébastien Caisse, who will be co-heading the studio alongside Déry, also highlights how the expansion helps the company grow creatively and be more ambitious with its games.
With a new game development arm in Canada, Gearbox has a bigger team than ever before — meaning more resources todevote to future games, likeDuke Nukem,Brothers in Arms, and, of course,Borderlands. These developments give fans of the franchise good reason to hope thatBorderlands 4won’t take as long as its predecessor, which was released seven years afterBorderlands 2.
Finally, it’s worth noting thatBorderlands 3is2K Games’ fastest-selling gameto date, with nearly 14 million units sold between September 2019 and October 2021. And whileBorderlands 3has yet to outsellBorderlands 2, it’s certainly on track to surpass it.
With all that said, it’s important to remember that there’s nothing yet conclusive on whetherBorderlands 4is in development or not. Even so, there’s no doubt that the fourth iteration to the looter-shooter series is a hot topic, with the gaming community already speculating on what the title will entail. Until Gearbox or 2K Games makes a statement,Borderlandsfans can get theirlooter-shooter fix withTiny Tina’s Wonderlands, a spin-off that will be released this year.
Borderlands 4is rumored to be in development.
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