The Borderlands games have been known for their over-the-top humor, which has lent the series a unique tone compared to most other shooters on the market. And while Borderlands 3 looks like it will continue the franchise's humorous style with its streamer parody Calypso Twin villains and the like, it will be doing so with toned-down language.

As revealed through a hands-off demo with PCGamesN, Borderlands 3 will no longer use the term "midget" when referring to the smaller Psychos in the game. Producer Chris Brock explained that smaller Psychos in Borderlands 3 will now be referred to as "Tinks" instead in an effort to be more sensitive. Brock didn't provide examples of other terms that have been changed, so Borderlands 3 fans may have to wait for the game to come out to find out more on that front.

Of course, it's worth pointing out that the word "Psycho" itself is considered offensive in some circles, yet Borderlands 3 is still using it to describe the bulk of its enemies. Psycho is sometimes used as a derogatory term to describe individuals suffering with mental illness, and so it's unclear why Gearbox decided to keep that word but change other ones.

When it comes to Borderlands 3 censoring itself, there will likely be two reactions. On one hand, some may applaud Gearbox for being more sensitive with the language it's using in Borderlands 3. On the other hand, some may feel as though a game like Borderlands 3 ought to be offensive by its very nature, and they may worry that Gearbox is neutering its vision to pander to certain groups of people.

Ultimately, Gearbox itself made the decision to censor certain derogatory terms and change some of the words it's using in Borderlands 3, and that is important to point out. It's not as though Gearbox is being forced to change the offensive terms in Borderlands 3 by any government or other entities, and at the end of the day, this word change doesn't seem like it will have a big impact on how the game is received overall.

With Borderlands 3 launching this September, fans won't have to wait too much longer to see just how the game is received by the community.

Borderlands 3 will launch on September 13 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

Source: PCGamesN