Rumors are on the internet once again for an upcoming Borderlands spin-off. From what it seems, the next game for the franchise won’t be a numbered title.
Rumors of a Borderlands spin-off comes after Gamesbeat reporter Jeff Grubb notes that he heard rumblings about the project. What is more interesting is that Gearbox, the game’s devs, won’t be leading the way for said project.
Borderlands franchise known for its many spin-offs
Borderlands is one of the most prolific and storied franchises of the modern era. Its games are always a bestseller and some of the most beloved comedy FPS titles out there. The game is also prone to many different spin-offs.
So far, there are three mainline titles in the game, going as numbered titles. Borderlands 1 came out in 2009, with Borderlands 2 following in 2012. After that, there was a long gap before the third iteration, Borderlands 3, came out.
During this period, the game had three spin-offs and two collections. Borderlands Legends came out in 2012, while The Pre-Sequel and Tales From the Borderlands came out in 2014. By 2015, The Handsome Collection came out as an omnibus of sorts.
From the rumors, it seems the game will have another sequel instead of a numbered title. Jeff Grubb only mentioned it on his personal show, however.
Gearbox co-founder denies rumors
Even with rumors abound, the original devs are still denying the possibility of a Borderlands spin-off. Gearbox co-founder Randy Pitchford denies the rumors, especially the parts where his company will only be a co-developer.
I am told of rumors that Gearbox is "assisting" or "co-developing" another Borderlands game (or a new spin-off game). These rumors are NOT accurate. Gearbox is lead dev of any future games in the Borderlands franchise (or any Borderlands adjacent games) with no co-development.
— Randy Pitchford (@DuvalMagic) May 6, 2021
“I am told of rumors that Gearbox is “assisting” or “co-developing” another Borderlands game (or a new spin-off game). These rumors are NOT accurate,” said Pitchford in a tweet.
“Gearbox is lead dev of any future games in the Borderlands franchise (or any Borderlands adjacent games) with no co-development.”
Pitchford also detailed further that a new game is in the works. Furthermore, he pushed to recruit more people out there.
More: We are definitely working on some amazing stuff that, I hope, will surprise and delight you. Plug: if anyone out there has Skills-To-Pay-Bills and wants to get in on some Borderlands action, we're working on the big one 🙂 https://t.co/Pp5iTUBwAt https://t.co/ExjXEbU30R
— Randy Pitchford (@DuvalMagic) May 6, 2021
“More: We are definitely working on some amazing stuff that, I hope, will surprise and delight you,” the Gearbox co-founder said. “Plug: if anyone out there has Skills-To-Pay-Bills and wants to get in on some Borderlands action, we’re working on the big one :)”
Even then, much of Pitchford’s denials must be given a pinch of salt. Pitchford has a history of denials that turned out to be true, including Battleborn going free to play and Borderlands 3 microtransactions. Whether a Borderlands spin-off or a mainline title is coming is up in the air.
Image Courtesy of Borderlands/YouTube Screenshot