Borderlands 2 Release Date and Doomsday Trailer

After earning a spot on our 25 Most Anticipated Games of 2012 list, news on Borderlands 2 has been surprisingly scarce so far this year. At end of 2011 gamers enjoyed a flurry of exciting details - teasing what to expect from Gearbox Software's next trip to Pandora: In-depth skill tree progression, less repetitive gameplay, and enemies that literally drop from space, to name a few.

However, Gearbox has been especially tight-lipped lately - possibly because they were prepping the following announcement: Borderlands 2 will arrive on store shelves on September 18, 2012 (September 21, 2012 for international markets). Accompanying the official release date, 2K Games has also unveiled a new Borderlands 2 trailer - offering up a balls-to-the-wall look at the game that you won't want to miss.

The original Borderlands 2 teaser trailer showed-off new character, Salvador (aka the Gunzerker) as well as some of the environments and enemies that players will encounter in the upcoming sequel. That said, if gamers thought the 33 second sneak-peek was a treat for the eyes, the new "Doomsday" trailer is a no-holds-barred feast - showcasing the entire roster of new characters (Salvador, Maya, Axton, and Zero), loads of enemy types, and some pretty slick gameplay improvements. After watching the new trailer - it's easy to forgive Gearbox for the 2012 silent treatment.

Check out the Borderlands 2 "Doomsday" trailer below:

[HTML1]

The press release also lays-out early pre-order bonuses for players who, after seeing the trailer, already know they'll be enlisting for more looting on Pandora. According to 2K Games, "Gamers who pre-order Borderlands 2 from participating retailers will gain access to the Borderlands 2 Premiere Club, allowing them to download the Gearbox Gun Pack, a Golden Key and the Vault Hunter’s Relic."

More specifically:

  • The Gearbox Gun Pack is a collection of unique guns to help players begin their journey on Pandora.
  • The Golden Key is an in-game item used to unlock a rare item in the mysterious Golden Sanctuary Loot Chest found in Borderlands 2.
  • The Vault Hunter’s Relic is an in-game item that boosts players’ gear-hunting fortune while playing solo or teaming up with friends.

Despite all of the visual eye-candy, the trailer blows by pretty quick, which is why 2K Games included a brief summary of what players can expect from the actual "plot" - when they're not looting and killing of course:

Living up to the mantra “bigger, better and more badass,” Borderlands 2 features all-new characters; skills; imaginative, diverse new environments with unique missions and enemies; and more exciting and fun weapons, equipment and loot than ever before. All of these features come together in a story that takes players to the world of Pandora to take down the notorious Handsome Jack and his corrupt Hyperion Corporation as a solo campaign or with up to four cooperative players.

At this point, "bigger, better and more badass" seems like the perfect way of describing Borderlands 2 - while it's unlikely that the game is going redesign the wheel, there's little doubt that Gearbox has refined the series formula (adding a lot more depth) while at the same time significantly inflating the amount (and variety) of content available.

Borderlands 2 will release on September 18, 2012 (September 21, 2012 for international markets) for the PS3, PC, and Xbox 360.

-

Follow me on Twitter @benkendrick for further updates.

Continue on to the next page for the full 2K Games Press Release.

Borderlands 2 Teaser Trailer
Borderlandsâ„¢ 2 Kicks Off New Era of Shoot and Loot on September 18, 2012
Pre-ordered games include exclusive access to Borderlands 2 Premiere Club,  including in-game items

New York, NY, February 22, 2012  2K Games and Gearbox Software announced today that Borderlandsâ„¢ 2, the sequel to the multi-million unit selling breakout hit, Borderlandsâ„¢, will be available on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Windows-based PC in North America on September 18, 2012 and internationally on September 21, 2012. Currently in development by Gearbox Software, Borderlands 2 is the sequel to the critically acclaimed four-player cooperative shooter-looter that combined intense first-person mayhem with role-playing gameplay. In addition, fans who pre-order the title from participating retailers will receive access to the Borderlands 2 Premiere Club, including rewarding in-game items and bonuses.

Living up to the mantra “bigger, better and more badass,” Borderlands 2 features all-new characters; skills; imaginative, diverse new environments with unique missions and enemies; and more exciting and fun weapons, equipment and loot than ever before. All of these features come together in a story that takes players to the world of Pandora to take down the notorious Handsome Jack and his corrupt Hyperion Corporation as a solo campaign or with up to four cooperative players.

“The addictive gameplay and shooting and looting mayhem of the first Borderlands is back and better than ever inBorderlands 2, taking the franchise to an entirely new level,” said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. “With more guns, more enemies, more missions, an engaging story and all-new characters, Borderlands 2 promises to bring a new era to gaming this fall.”

Borderlands 2 will allow friends to play together locally via split-screen, as well as online with drop-in-drop-out capabilities. With seamless cooperative gameplay and action, Borderlands 2 is extremely accessible for gamers and their friends to play alone or together in a variety of configurations.

Borderlands 2 is a passion project, through and through,” said Randy Pitchford, President of Gearbox Software. “The result is a sequel that has improved every successful aspect of Borderlands while innovating with an all-new experience.”

Gamers who pre-order Borderlands 2 from participating retailers will gain access to the Borderlands 2 Premiere Club, allowing them to download the Gearbox Gun Pack, a Golden Key and the Vault Hunter’s Relic. The Gearbox Gun Pack is a collection of unique guns to help players begin their journey on Pandora. The Golden Key is an in-game item used to unlock a rare item in the mysterious Golden Sanctuary Loot Chest found in Borderlands 2. The Vault Hunter’s Relic is an in-game item that boosts players’ gear-hunting fortune while playing solo or teaming up with friends. To pre-order Borderlands 2 please visit www.borderlands2.com/preorder.

Borderlands 2 is not yet rated by the ESRB. For more information on Borderlands 2 please visitwww.borderlands2.com.

2K Games is a division of 2K, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO).

About Take-Two Interactive Software

Headquartered in New York City, Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is a leading developer, marketer and publisher of interactive entertainment for consumers around the globe.  The Company develops and publishes products through its two wholly-owned labels Rockstar Games and 2K, which publishes its titles under the 2K Games, 2K Sports and 2K Play brands.  Our products are designed for console systems, handheld gaming systems and personal computers, including smartphones and tablets, and are delivered through physical retail, digital download, online platforms and cloud streaming services.  The Company’s common stock is publicly traded on NASDAQ under the symbol TTWO. For more corporate and product information please visit our website at http://www.take2games.com.

About Gearbox Software

Gearbox Software is respected industry wide for the award winning, best-selling original and licensed video games they have developed for major video game platforms.  Founded in 1999 and located near Dallas, TX, Gearbox Software is well known for the creation, development and management of its original blockbuster video game franchises including the best-selling new property of 2009, Borderlands and its record setting downloadable content, the critically acclaimed award winning Brothers in Arms series, and the Duke Nukem franchise. The company has also developed licensed video games for many of the industry’s top franchises including Halo, Half-Life, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, 007 James Bond, Aliens and others.  Gearbox Software’s success has been enabled and supported through several key mutually beneficial business relationships with strong publishing partners including Activision, Electronic Arts, Ubisoft Entertainment, Microsoft Games Studios, Sega, and Take-Two/2K Games.

Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used under license from Microsoft.

"PlayStation" is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

All trademarks and copyrights contained herein are the property of their respective holders.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

The statements contained herein which are not historical facts are considered forward-looking statements under federal securities laws and may be identified by words such as "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "potential," "predicts," "projects," "seeks," "will," or words of similar meaning and include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the outlook for the Company's future business and financial performance. Such forward-looking statements are based on the current beliefs of our management as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to them, which are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. Actual outcomes and results may vary materially from these forward-looking statements based on a variety of risks and uncertainties including: our dependence on key management and product development personnel, our dependence on our Grand Theft Auto products and our ability to develop other hit titles for current generation platforms, the timely release and significant market acceptance of our games, the ability to maintain acceptable pricing levels on our games, our ability to raise capital if needed and risks associated with international operations. Other important factors and information are contained in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2011, in the section entitled "Risk Factors," and the Company's other periodic filings with the SEC, which can be accessed at www.take2games.com. All forward-looking statements are qualified by these cautionary statements and apply only as of the date they are made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.